Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Friday that the Armenian government cannot abandon the enclave-exclave issue in talks with Azerbaijan.

Speaking at a press briefing, Pashinyan addressed the delimitation of borders and the enclave-exclave issue. He highlighted that Armenia and Azerbaijan have mutually recognized each other’s territorial integrity based on the Alma-Ata Declaration.

“There is a legally binding document stating that the Alma-Ata Declaration serves as the foundational basis for border delimitation between the two countries,” the Prime Minister said.

According to him, under the Alma-Ata Declaration, in terms of territorial size, independent Armenia is identical to Soviet Armenia, and independent Azerbaijan is identical to Soviet Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan also noted that Armenia cannot renounce the issue of enclaves-exclaves, as doing so would also constitute a renunciation of Armenia’s sovereign territory.

“Today there are issues, and we cannot abandon the topic of enclaves for one simple reason: we ourselves have an [exclave]—Artsvashen. If anyone were to renounce it, that would be grounds for criminal liability. No one can renounce Armenia’s sovereign territory,” he said.

At the same time, the Prime Minister emphasized that there is currently no agreement or strategy regarding the resolution of the enclave-exclave issue.

“There is no agreement, no concept, no strategy related to resolving this issue, but the regulation [on delimitation] define cases that can also be considered, depending on how we approach the matter,” Pashinyan said.

According to the Prime Minister, the delimitation process will also address issues related to roads, infrastructure, and communications, and any possible decisions will be open and public.

“If there are any optimizations during the delimitation process, they will be open, public, and transparent,” he said.

Pashinyan reaffirmed that, as a result of the delimitation, the territory of the Republic of Armenia will remain 29,743 square kilometers.

“This is iron logic; there can be no other logic,” the Prime Minister added.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Russia’s restrictions on Armenian flower imports are not new and have been discussed periodically within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Addressing these restrictions at a press briefing, Pashinyan said that such measures have always existed for products that do not meet phytosanitary requirements. “These restrictions have always been in place because any product that does not comply with phytosanitary standards has always been subject to such limitations, and they will continue to exist,” the Prime Minister said.

According to him, over the past eight years, such situations have been recorded dozens of times, caused not only by phytosanitary issues but also by other types of problems.

Pashinyan noted that at EAEU meetings, there are regular discussions about the extent to which certain products circulating within the union are actually produced in member countries. “Now a delegation has arrived, and this is just another routine working situation,” he said.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the EAEU’s principle is that goods produced within the union should move freely. He also pointed out that such issues are regularly discussed at both the EAEU Supreme Economic Council and the EAEU Intergovernmental Council meetings. “I am the only leader who participates in both formats,” Pashinyan added.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that only Armenia can discuss or decide its membership status in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

He emphasized that a member state alone has the authority to leave the union, and there is no other procedure, following comments by Russia that Armenia’s status in the EAEU would be discussed at the upcoming summit.

“Under the regulations of the EAEU, only Armenia can discuss its membership status in the union. A member state alone can decide to leave; there is no other procedure. We can discuss any questions that arise, and I assume our partners may have some, and we will respond to all of them patiently,” the Prime Minister said at a press briefing.

Earlier, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk told TASS in an interview that Armenia’s status in the EAEU would be discussed at a May 29 summit amid the country’s EU integration moves.

Armenia’s ties with Georgia are independent of third-party relations and will remain strategic and fraternal, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said.

Asked at a press conference on Friday to comment on Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement that the European Union would not succeed in creating divisions in Armenian-Georgian relations, Pashinyan noted that Georgia plays an important role in the context of Armenia-EU relations.

“Regarding Georgia, I have clearly stated that Georgia plays a very significant and key role in Armenia-EU relations, and we are very concerned about the current situation. We believe that this situation needs to be resolved,” Pashinyan said.

At the same time, he emphasized that Armenia’s relations with Georgia are not conditioned by ties with other countries or unions.

“Armenia’s relations with Georgia are not linked to relations with any third party. Naturally, these relations are strategic, long-term, historical, fraternal, and will continue to remain so. There simply can be no other scenario,” Pashinyan said.

Preliminary intelligence indicates that the suspects behind the assassination plot targeting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have been based outside Armenia since 2024.

Pashinyan revealed some details of the ongoing investigation into the plot while speaking at a press briefing on Friday.

He said that the suspects have been “roughly” identified by law enforcement agencies. 

“I believe that we have roughly identified the circle of individuals. Essentially, the people we believe are in that video have not been in Armenia since 2024. This is operational information, but we do not have evidence. We have their names, and efforts were made to locate them, at which point it was confirmed that they are not in Armenia. Previously, they were most likely under our scrutiny for other matters. In particular, they could be individuals involved in illegal mercenary activities. But this is just operational information,” the Prime Minister said.

Earlier this week, Armenian law enforcement agencies launched a criminal investigation to identify and apprehend individuals who made death threats in an alleged assassination plot against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in a video shared online.

The video shows a masked man speaking, while four others—also wearing masks—stand behind him, brandishing what appear to be AKS-74U assault rifles.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan again dismissed claims from the Strong Armenia Alliance that Azerbaijanis would settle in Armenia if his Civil Contract party is re-elected.

Strong Armenia leader Samvel Karapetyan had recently claimed that Pashinyan’s government had allegedly made a commitment regarding the “resettlement” of Azerbaijanis in Armenia. “If this is not true, let Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stand up and say it is false,” Karapetyan said.

“It is false,” Pashinyan responded at a press briefing on Friday.

When asked whether he guarantees that no resettlement of Azerbaijanis will occur in Armenia during his tenure, Pashinyan said:

“I give guarantees, yes. I guarantee it, and this is connected to the fact that I say the Karabakh issue is closed; the Karabakh issue will not continue. There will be no topic of return to Karabakh, no topic of return to Nakhchivan, no topic of return to Baku, no topic of return to Sumgait, no topic of return to Kirovabad, no topic of return to Yevlakh, and so on. Yes, I guarantee it. It’s a nonsensical issue, it’s a conflict issue, it is not a peace issue. And it is so obvious. Again—this is false, and yes, I guarantee it.”

Days after Armenia’s domestic defense industry shipments were announced, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that arms exports from the country would continue.

“Yes, there are deals, including long-term contracts, and those contracts will be implemented,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing.

Recently, Armenia’s Minister of High-Tech Industry, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, announced that three companies had exported Armenian-made weapons worth millions of dollars to two countries, describing the process as “unprecedented.” He did not specify which companies carried out the exports, what types of weapons were shipped, or the recipient countries.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has reaffirmed that he guarantees the authenticity of the recording circulating on the internet, in which former President Robert Kocharyan, currently running for parliament, allegedly appeals to Russia for help—a claim he has denied as fake.

Earlier, a recording was published online in which, allegedly, the second President of Armenia and leader of the “Armenia” alliance, Robert Kocharyan, addressing what media reported to be Russian leader Vladimir Putin, says in Russian: “You brought me into Armenia’s political field, now I have problems; please ensure my exit from this field.”

Kocharyan has denied making the statement to Putin or any other leader, saying that the recording is fake and AI-generated.

Speaking at a press briefing, Pashinyan argued that the recording is authentic.

“I guarantee that this is a real, original recording; moreover, it is not a telephone conversation, clearly, but a voice message. It corresponds 100 percent to reality—I guarantee it. Robert Kocharyan himself left this voice message on a phone and sent it through an intermediary,” Pashinyan said, expressing surprise that civil society, investigative journalists, and, in general, no one has subjected it to scrutiny.

According to Pashinyan, from a legal perspective, the recording contains an instance of political activity in Armenia orchestrated by another country, which could primarily have political consequences.

Addressing the possibility of giving a legal assessment to the recording, he said he is not sure that it is necessary. “I am not convinced that there is a question of a legal assessment because when we say agent, we must understand that there are several layers—there is a foreign agent [of influence], who lobbies for the interests of a country. Our legislation, I am not sure, provides for such a thing, but at the very least, it deserves a political evaluation,” Pashinyan added.

As for potential criminal liability in other cases pertaining to parliamentary candidates, Pashinyan said law enforcement authorities will provide the legal assessment. Top “Strong Armenia” candidate Narek Karapetyan is under investigation over citizenship disclosure claims, while Prosperous Armenia’s Andranik Tevanyan is investigated on espionage charges.

“It is foreseen, and if I am not mistaken, an announcement was made that a criminal case has been initiated; it will be clarified through the criminal case,” Pashinyan said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has dismissed concerns about a potential mass deportation of Armenian citizens from Russia, emphasizing that existing regulations protect those legally residing there.

Speaking at a press briefing, Pashinyan was asked about concerns over Russia’s potential mass deportation of Armenian citizens amid the current phase of Armenian-Russian relations.

He expressed his belief that such worries are unnecessary, noting that appropriate regulations are in place and will continue to operate.

“On the other hand, during my campaign I have met many Armenian citizens who have returned from Russia and say they are happy to be back and plan to stay in Armenia. And 2025 was the first year when emigration from the Republic of Armenia stopped, and return migration began,” Pashinyan said.

He said it is normal for any country to deport foreigners residing there illegally.

He added that for years there have been cases of Russia deporting Armenian citizens illegally residing there, in some instances forcing people to change their first or last names to resolve the issue.

“Those who are there legally cannot be deported, while those who are there illegally can not only be deported but are obliged to be,” he explained.

The Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, Hakob Arshakyan, led a delegation to Saint Petersburg, Russia, to participate in the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly (CIS IPA) council, plenary, and committee sessions, the parliament’s press service reported.

The delegation includes Armenian MPs delegated to the CIS IPA: Alexey Sandikov, Shirak Torosyan, and Gegham Nazaryan.

Valentina Matviyenko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and the Chair of the CIS IPA Council, chaired the council session on May 21 and presented the body’s observer mission reports, including preparations for observing the June 7 Armenian elections.

Hakob Arshakyan, greeting the council members, noted that the parliamentary elections scheduled in Armenia for June 7, 2026, will be held under the observation of several international organizations, including the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie, and the European Parliament.

“This reflects our country’s commitment to the principles of transparency in the electoral process and to democratic standards,” Arshakyan said.

He recalled that the long-term mission of the CIS IPA had recently been in Armenia.

“The periodic invitations of the mission reflect the stable nature of our cooperation and the Armenian side’s interest in an independent international assessment of the elections. The upcoming visit of the main CIS IPA delegation to Yerevan, scheduled for June 4–8, will be an important part of international monitoring,” Arshakyan emphasized.

He also noted that in May, a pre-election mission from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly was in Armenia, during which its representatives held meetings with government bodies, parliamentary forces, civil society organizations, and media outlets. Discussions focused on electoral legislation, the pre-election environment, and the organization of the elections.

“In conclusion, I would like to emphasize the importance of international monitoring as one of the factors that strengthens confidence in the electoral process,” Arshakyan said.

During the council session, attention was also paid to the assembly’s current activities, upcoming programs, and the main directions of cooperation.