The outgoing 2017 year was remembered by a number of curious statements made by Armenian politicians and public figures. Some of them are so deeply carved into the readers' memory that Vestnik Kavkaza decided to recall the most resonant and thoughtful statements, however, respected politicians better not to repeat them in the coming 2018.
"If a person eats only potatoes and pasta, the increase in meat prices would have no impact on him," Khosrov Harutyunyan, a deputy of Armenia's National Assembly from the Republican Party of Armenia said, commenting on the impact of the increase in meat prices in Armenia on poverty. Khosrov Harutyunyan's formula for combating food price hikes is brilliant in its simplicity and will surely inspire many Armenian citizens to become convinced vegetarians in the near future.
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"Do we have a budget to embezzle? Armenia is a very poor country." ― Seyran Saroyan, a member of the National Assembly. No budget - no problem.
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"Aren't there teachers who do not want this job? Aren't there doctors who better not work in their profession?" Karen Karapetyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia said, justifying the decision to dismiss 5500 doctors and teachers in Armenia in 2018. It's interesting, but what about the cabinet of ministers - aren't there ministers who should not do this job?
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"Who do we rely on, except the Russians, if the war starts again?" ― Vagharshak Harutyunyan, Armenia's former minister of defense on the possibility of resumption of war with Azerbaijan. Well, in fact, who else would it be for a sovereign state with its own army? Why Syria was allowed, but Armenia was not?
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"Russia is in a hurry to destroy Armenia and taking serious steps to form the fifth column in the country." ― Narine Dilbaryan, associate professor of Yerevan State University in the context of Moscow's policy of supporting Russian language in Armenia. So, who do you rely on in this case, if the war starts again?
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"If the children of the officials were healthy, they would certainly join the army." ― the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations David Tonoyan, responding to criticism related to the government officials' children avoiding military service. "If they were not children of officials, they would surely be healthy," the doctor of the draft board told Vestnik Kavkaza, speaking on the conditions of anonymity.
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"The prices of medical services in the country are low, therefore, the level of services is also law." ― Levon Altunyan, Armenian Minister of Healthcare. A trick question: what will happen to the prices of medical services in 2018?
"In Armenia, 25% of girls under the age of 15 have experienced sexual relations." ― Levon Altunyan. After an angry public response to this statement, Altunyan made a new statement, noting: "There was a mix-up during the live broadcast, I used the word "girls" instead of" boys". Was there a boy or not?
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"I have no business, no money. How can I pay pre-election bribes to someone?" ― MP Samvel Aleksanyan, a monopolist in the production of granulated sugar and confectionery products and the owner of Yerevan City chain of supermarkets.
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"Cash handouts should be perceived as a gift, not as vote-buying," ― Hermine Naghdalyan, Armenia's National Assembly deputy speaker, commenting on the open mass pre-election bribes paid before the parliamentary elections, which were held in the country in 2017.
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"All the country's resources are usurped by one group of people, this can no longer be tolerated, that's enough!" ― former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, who was the main apologist for the current government before his dismissal after the military failure during the April 2016 battles . Probably he knows what he's talking about.
