The wife of Armenia’s Prime Minister, Anna Hakobyan, has announced that she is leaving their shared residence, describing the move as a “civil divorce.”
In a public statement, Hakobyan said she was referring specifically to a “civil marriage,” noting that no other form of marriage exists between them. “Today I am leaving the government residence,” she said.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan later responded in a Facebook post, saying he respects Hakobyan’s decision.
“For the past 30 years, in all my difficult days, she has stood by my side, been my support and pillar,” Pashinyan wrote. “I am not sure that I have been the same for her. Perhaps I have caused more bitterness, for which I apologize.”
Hakobyan also urged the public not to speculate or engage in discussion about the matter.
“I inform all my friends, acquaintances, relatives – near and far – and even my closest people that this topic is not open for discussion with me. I am placing a ban on it,” she said in a Facebook statement.
Addressing the wider public, she added: “I urge you not to spend much time discussing this issue. It will become a futile and unproductive exercise. We heard it, we recorded it, and we move on.”
No further details about the couple’s decision have been disclosed.