Pashinyan relieves presumed negotiator with Azerbaijan of his post in PM's office

YEREVAN. Dec 1 (Interfax) - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has relieved of duties Hrachya Tashchyan, head of the foreign affairs department in Pashinyan's office.

The order was signed on Wednesday, the government press service said, without explaining the reason.

Tatul Akopyan, journalist and head of the Ani Armenian Research Center, said on November 26, that Tashchyan was Pashinyan's negotiator with the Azerbaijani authorities.

Tashchyan used to occupy various positions in the Armenian Foreign Ministry. He served as an advisor to the Armenian mission to NATO and the Armenian mission to the UN, as well as head of the NATO department at the Armenian Foreign Ministry, and a minister of the Armenian embassy to the United States.

After the change of administration in Armenia in 2018, Tashchyan was appointed an aide to the prime minister. He became head of the foreign affairs department at the prime minister's office in 2020.