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Armenian National Assembly Deputy Speaker Ruben Rubinyan said Friday that he would no longer serve as Armenia's special representative in normalization talks with Türkiye if elected speaker of parliament, according to local media reports.
Speaking to reporters, Rubinyan said the two positions would not be compatible.
"Since I have been nominated for the position of speaker of the National Assembly, it is obvious that if I am elected, I will no longer continue to serve as Armenia's special representative in the negotiations with Türkiye," he said.
Asked about his successor, Rubinyan said the decision "has not yet been determined" and will naturally be made by "the prime minister and the government."
Rubinyan was nominated as the ruling Civil Contract party's candidate for speaker of the newly elected National Assembly following a closed secret ballot by the party's governing board.
He currently serves as deputy speaker of the National Assembly and has represented Armenia in the normalization process with Türkiye since 2021.
Türkiye and Armenia have no formal diplomatic relations, and their land border has been closed since 1993.
The two countries have pursued normalization talks in recent years, with special representatives meeting to discuss reopening the border and restoring diplomatic ties.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday called for expanding energy connectivity with neighboring Türkiye and Azerbaijan, saying deeper regional integration could strengthen energy security and support the green transition.
Speaking alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a news conference in Yerevan, Pashinyan said Armenia also wanted to participate in the Black Sea submarine electricity cable project and deepen cooperation with the EU on digitalization.
"I consider it important to expand energy interconnectivity, including the construction of power transmission lines and interconnectivity with neighbouring Türkiye and Azerbaijan, which can contribute both to energy security and to the green transition," he said.
Von der Leyen arrived in Armenia on Thursday as part of a regional tour that also included Azerbaijan, where she held talks with President Ilham Aliyev.
Pashinyan described the EU as "one of Armenia's most trusted partners" and said the two sides discussed ways to diversify Armenia's economy, trade and exports.
He thanked the EU for providing 52 million euros, or about $61 million, in budget support and expressed hope that Brussels would continue assisting Armenia's efforts to diversify its trade and export markets.
The Armenian prime minister ruled out any abrupt reversal in the country's efforts to deepen ties with the EU, referring to Armenia's 2013 decision to abandon plans to sign an Association Agreement with the bloc and instead join the Eurasian Economic Union.
"Yes, I exclude it. It is impossible," Pashinyan said when asked whether a similar policy reversal could happen again.
Pashinyan said he hoped Armenia would secure visa-free travel with the EU by 2029.
"A lot depends on us, and in many cases we should be asking ourselves these questions, not the EU," he said.
Commenting on a phone conversation earlier this week with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Pashinyan said the call took place at his initiative.
He said the two officials agreed to hold more detailed discussions on bilateral issues in the near future.
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