“Appointments of Sargsyan and Vardanyan are serious political mistake”

The appointments of ex-PM Tigran Sargsyan and ex-minister of sport and youth affairs, famous weightlifter Yuri Vardanyan as ambassadors are a serious political mistake, a former ambassador of Armenia, political scientist Arman Navasardyan told reporters today.

Recently ex-Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan was appointed Armenian ambassador to the U.S., while Yuri Vardanyan became ambassador to Georgia.

According to Navasardyan, Armenia continues to pursue an incorrect diplomatic strategy.

“I indicated the cadre-related lack of professionalism of our diplomacy long ago. Armenian Foreign Ministry makes grave blunders in its personnel policy. Previously the matter concerned appointments of oligarchs, while today a legendary athlete lacking the respective experience will have to carry out a serious diplomatic mission,” Arman Navasardyan noted.

The diplomat found it difficult to tell what prompted Vardanyan’s appointment, but he expressed an opinion that Yuri Vardanyan won’t be able to clear the hurdle.

“The appointment was wrong, especially in case of Georgia, a country of primary importance to Armenia. There are Georgian-Azerbaijani, Georgian-Russian, Georgian-Turkish relations, problems of Javakhk, Armenian churches, which should have been taken into consideration. The appointment of an unskilled and unprofessional diplomat under such conditions was an incorrect and inefficient decision,” Navasardyan said, adding that such appointments very often create problems.

As regards Tigran Sargsyan, the diplomat called his appointment to the post of Armenian ambassador to the U.S. an omission, despite the fact that T. Sargsyan is a highly educated man and has wide work experience, while the United States had assisted his appointment as Armenian prime minister.

“I cannot say what kind of diplomat he will be, but, taking into account the scandal linked to his name, Sargsyan’s appointment as ambassador, especially to the United States, is an outrage mistake,” Arman Navasardyan said.