According to Hraparak daily, Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik Tsarukyan invited foreign diplomats accredited to Armenia to Yerevan Ararat Brandy Factory’s 135th anniversary event.

French, UK, Swedish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Byelorussian and even Chinese diplomats accepted Tsarukyan’s invitation – except Russian envoy Vyatcheslav Kovalenko.

Russia’s unofficial explanation for failing to show up was, “who would ever drink on Tuesday?”

For an official explanation, the embassy cited lack of time over the arrival of the Chairman of the Accounts Chamber of Russia Sergei Stepashin in Armenia.

“However, one may suppose Russian embassy’s move was simply a response to Tsarukyan’s meeting with U.S. envoy John Heffern in particular and the party’s somehow pro-western stance in general,” the paper said.