From 21 to 30 November, 2019, the “Media Advocate” initiative followed online media reports on the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan’s personality and activities.
35 leading Armenian news agencies have been monitored.
In the specified period, 182 articles were declared, 10 of which were negative, 1 was positive and 171 were neutral.
Negative articles on Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan prevail. Avetik Ishkhanyan, in his analysis published in the “Aravot” newspaper, referring to Zohrab Mnatsakanyan’s interview given to the BBC, wrote that it was “senseless”. Avetik Ishkhanyan also touched upon the security of Artsakh people and the ideas voiced by the authorities and wrote the following: “What does the statement of the Prime Minister and other officials mean? “Azerbaijan wants only the territory of Artsakh, without Armenians.” That is to say, it seems that the issue concerns only the security of the people of Artsakh (was not this very idea the gist of Zohrab Mnatsakanyan’s interview?), even within Azerbaijan? And if they “persuade” us and give us these “guarantees”, so what … After all, such “security” guarantees can also be given to the Republic of Armenia, for example, by such countries as the same Azerbaijan, Turkey or any other country. ”
Referring to the mutual visit of Armenian and Azeri journalists, Tevan Poghosyan noted: “We have been hearing for a year now how RA Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan states that they have agreed to work in synchrony. After each meeting I see an asynchronous work: the Azerbaijani side is conducting information dissemination favouring their side. After the above-mentioned program, Kasperchik and journalists from both sides met in Tbilisi. They were also surprised; they even agreed on a text, that Kasperchik was to announce, but there is no such text as one may notice.” Tevan Poghosyan is sure neither the Armenian Foreign Ministry nor the Artsakh Foreign Ministry opposed it; “Probably it was initiated by the Azerbaijani side, which means they have other goals.”
Recently, “Hraparak” daily received an email stating that Minister Edward Nalbandian delivered a speech at the Canadian Embassy on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Canada. According to the media outlet, at first, they thought Zohrab Mnatsakanyan had been dismissed, and then realized, like other government circles, the Foreign Ministry is also in chaos and neglected.
