Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has decided to appoint his My Step bloc’s leader Lilit Makunts Armenian Ambassador to the US for her “special merits”, Armenia’s former Ambassador to the Vatican Mikayel Minasyan said on Telegram on Saturday.

"Even if we assume that Makunts is not a bad person, there is no doubt that Makunts is an incompetent politician, furthermore, an incompetent diplomat,” Minasyan noted.

“Evidence of her ignorance is her foreign policy failures at various levels, including in inter-parliamentary relations. But it was Makunts whom Nikol Pashinyan entrusted to head first the Ministry of Culture, and then his faction. Makunts, known for being Nikol’s English teacher, has only one merit – Nikol believes in her unconditionally. That is why, sending her to the United States, he decided to kill two birds with one stone: to rescue her from a sinking ship and use her in a dirty game between the two superpowers [Russia and the US].

“Nikol’s political team managed to stray in power before Biden’s inauguration. It was decided to send Lilit Makunts after the State Department “cookies”, which the velvet revolutionaries dreamed of so much. It seems to them that dilettante Makunts will be able to save Armenia in the wake of the conflict of superpowers’ interests. Her expected appointment is a blow not only to the Armenian-US, Armenian-Russian relations and Armenia's image, but also to our existence as an independent country...

“Two days ago, the Soros circles were ordered to step up anti-Russian rhetoric and start flirting with the United States. The decision to appoint Makunts will be the formalization and institutionalization of the geopolitical chaos which Nikol is drawing Armenia into.

P.S. Incidentally, Nikol Pashinyan has pledged to reconsider the practice of appointing individuals who are not considered career diplomats to the posts of ambassadors,” the ex-ambassador wrote.