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"The resignation process is not over yet, so I will refrain from addressing the issue at the moment," Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Arayik Harutyunyan told a news conference on Wednesday, referring to the resignation of ruling My Step alliance MP Arsen Julfalakyan.

Julfalakyan announced his decision to resign from Armenia’s parliament last week, citing serious disagreements with Harutyunyan and accusing the minister of mishandling his areas of responsibility.

Harutyunyan only said that Julfalakyan had never discussed those issues with him. “He could have raised those problems, and we might have accepted some specific criticism and made some changes,” the minister said, adding that they could also have convinced Julfalakyan that some of the concerns voiced by him were baseless.

Separately, speaking about the demand of Yerevan State University students for partial tuition reimbursement, Harutyunyan promised to consider their petition and hold discussions with the students if necessary.

Asked whether the issue of his possible resignation could be discussed with the prime minster as the opposition Bright Armenia faction is going to raise it at today’s parliament sitting and has urged people calling for his resignation to gather outside the parliament building, the minister said he would immediately submit resignation if there were any grounds for it.

“The complaints are related to the major package of reforms which is being implemented. Some political circles are concerned over the fact that as a result of those reforms, we will have a generation with critical and analytical thinking that will no longer serve as a basis for them,” he said, adding the groups fighting “under the guise of false values” will lose any support from the public.

Harutyunyan stressed as one of the revolutionary leaders, he has embarked on a mission to reform the sphere and is carrying out that mission. “If I feel that we are going in the wrong direction, I will tender my resignation. Now we are going in the right direction and there is no issue of resignation on my agenda now,” he said.

Also, the minister dismissed reports about any disagreements with Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sports, and other members of the committee.

He also refrained from making any comment on the resignation of Smbat Gogyan as Chairman of the Supreme Certifying Committee.