ArmInfo.Member of the Russian State Duma Konstantin Zatulin, who has been declared persona non grata by Armenia's authorities, has posted the following Telegram message.
"It is the second day that I have been impressed. None other than the head of the Foreign Relations Department of Armenia's National Assembly has declared my entry to Armenia 'undesirable'. 'Regrettably, your recent public statements addressed to the Republic of Armenia are to the detriment of the friendly relations between our states,' he has written me. Hemingway's briefness, but without the clarity typical of his style. What statements? What period can be considered 'recent'? How could my statements 'harm the development of relations between our states?'"
"Armenian Premier Nikol Pashinyan's relatives proved more outspoken. In a newspaper article they accused me of considering the Armenian government responsible for the defeat in the Karabakh war and putting the question of the plans to create corridors in Armenia's territory to that country's premier (is it not so?). MP Hrachya Hakobyan, who is called Mr Pashinyan's brother-in-law, has stated with joy that the fact that Armenia has now joined Azerbaijan, which declared me persona non grata in 2010, is evidence of the two states' showing solidarity. And I think so as well. This solidarity is obvious. Cosa Nostra. 'From antiquity we have been noble; from antiquity has our dynasty been royal' as King Darius wrote in the Behistun Inscription. If the Armenian state is 'Nikol and full stop', the reason for my punishment is clear. Nikol Pashinyan can by no means be guilty. I am not so much concerned over 'the recent public statements' by Nikol Pashinyan and his teammates. I have arrived at the conclusion that their 'recent actions' will actually result in Armenia breaking off its relations with Russia and, if they succeed, the Armenians severing their relations with the Russians. They have already made Armenia's leadership break off its relations with Nagorno-Karabakh. Putin is the only person aware of whether we have arrived at the point of no return in our relations with Armenia's authorities. And the meeting to be held in Sochi on October 31 will make things clear," Mr Zatulin wrote.
He is grateful to Armenian MPs, political parties and NGOs, as well as to ordinary ethnic Armenians in Armenia and Russia, who are supporting him in their messages.
"It is dear to me. Do not think, please, I am hurt by this ban or I have changed my attitude to the friendly Christian Armenian people. I have not changed my attitude to the friendly Ukrainian people since the outbreak of war, have I? Even if I had many more reasons for that. You do not have to be an Armenian to love Armenia and Armenians!" Mr Zatulin wrote.