Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan claimed on Tuesday that his government has successfully navigated severe security challenges, asserting that Armenia’s survival is now assured “for the next century.”
Opposition leaders dismissed the claim, made in parliament during a session overshadowed by the ongoing threat of renewed conflict with Azerbaijan.
“Two years ago, I stated from this podium that if we managed to preserve our statehood for a year or two, it would mean we had created a genuine opportunity for a century-long future for our state,” Pashinyan said. “Now, two years later, I must declare that in the medium term, we have achieved that strategic goal. But we cannot afford to let our guard down for even a moment.”
Pashinyan emphasized the importance of economic development within Armenia’s internationally recognized borders and proposed a new “security system” in which a strong army would not play the central role.
“Armenia must act solely in the interests of its own economic development,” he said, during a debate on the government’s draft budget for the coming year.
Pashinyan’s remarks come four years after Armenia’s defeat in a six-week war with Azerbaijan and over a year after a further Azerbaijani offensive resulted in Baku reclaiming full control over Artsakh. Opposition leaders continue to hold Pashinyan responsible for the loss of Artsakh, arguing that it has only deepened Armenia’s security vulnerabilities.
Gegham Manukyan, a lawmaker from the opposition Hayastan alliance, accused Pashinyan of ruining Armenia’s position since assuming power in 2018.
“The man sees himself as a messiah and spouts nonsense daily,” Manukyan told Azatutyun.
Another opposition MP, Tigran Abrahamyan of the Pativ Unem bloc, criticized Pashinyan’s rejection of the “nation-army” concept championed by former President Serzh Sargsyan. Abrahamyan argued that Pashinyan’s policies led to the 2020 war and set the stage for Azerbaijan’s subsequent capture of Artsakh.
Pashinyan officially recognized Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over Artsakh earlier this year, months before Baku’s September 2023 offensive forced the region’s Armenian population to flee. On Tuesday, he implied that retaining control over Artsakh had been a strategic error, while claiming his administration has “guaranteed the survival of Armenian statehood for the next century.”
Concerns about Azerbaijan’s intentions remain high among Armenian officials. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and others have warned that Baku could launch an invasion of Armenia following the COP29 climate summit, held in Azerbaijan from November 11 to 22. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly threatened such actions in recent months.
