Armenian president says he is taking ‘urgent measures’ to diffuse crisis

Armenia’s president said Thursday he was taking urgent steps to end a political crisis after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused the military of an attempted coup.

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“I call on everyone -- state bodies, law enforcement agencies, political forces, all citizens -- to show restraint and common sense. Every ill-considered word or action increases tensions and deepens the crisis,” President Armen Sarkisian, whose role is largely symbolic, said in a statement.

“Reaffirming the role of the presidency as a balancing body, I am taking urgent measures to defuse tensions and find ways to resolve the situation peacefully,” he said.

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