Political scientist Suren Sargsyan responded to the statement of NA Vice President Ruben Rubinyan.
"Yesterday, several colleagues asked me whether the statement of the deputy speaker that Serzh Sargsyan was not in the White House is true.
I read his speech. Half of what was said was wrong. I have to respond, because a few days ago I myself wrote about Pashinyan not having a visit/telephone conversation at the level of the US president. Ter-Ptrosyan came to the USA until 1994. the visit is visited again.
His 1994 the visit was also state/official/working, as he had meetings with the Armenian community in other cities besides Washington. However, the problem is as follows. Unlike Nikol Pashinyan, all the presidents of Armenia have had working meetings with all their American counterparts on different occasions, and had telephone conversations as well.
Ter-Petrosyan - of Bush and Clinton, Kocharyan - of Clinton and Bush, Sargsyan - of Obama.
If we specifically single out Serzh Sargsyan (since the question of my colleagues was about him), then I will say the following.
1. Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan met 5 times in the Pentagon and 1 time in Yerevan with 3 US defense secretaries (since 2018, no defense minister of Armenia has met his American counterpart, including the current minister who has been to the Pentagon).
2. Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan met US Vice President Dick Cheney at the White House.
3. President Serzh Sargsyan met Vice President Biden at the White House.
4. Serzh Sargsyan took part in the official lunch ceremony given on behalf of Obama at the White House, before which he had a bilateral meeting with Obama at the convention center, a place planned for the holding of the nuclear security summit and bilateral meetings.
And as for Pashinyan, yes, he is the only leader of Armenia who has never been to the White House in any form, has never had any telephone conversation or working meeting with the US President or Vice President, and the few photos spread on the Internet were taken when he Stood next to Trump for 30 seconds at a reception or walked by him during a multi-party event.
