Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced that he is rejecting the agenda of restoring so-called “historical justice,” emphasizing that pursuing such an agenda would lead Armenia to face new historical injustices.

He made the remarks at a press briefing when asked whether he considers the Azerbaijani military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023 to constitute ethnic cleansing.

“I consider that term to be harmful, because we may call it ethnic cleansing and, in response, receive mirrored accusations from them [Azerbaijan] of ethnic cleansing, genocide, and so on. That would mean entering a path of conflict,” he said.

“That is not my concern; my concern is what should be done so that our people displaced from Karabakh can find peace and have homes, jobs, security, safety, and freedom. That is what I am focused on,” the Prime Minister explained.

The Prime Minister stated that he is rejecting the agenda of restoring so-called historical justice.

“I believe we must pursue just reality, not the restoration of ‘historical justice,’ because the more we chase ‘historical justice,’ the more we will encounter new historical injustices. I consider it my duty to share this with our people,” Pashinyan said.

According to him, even for a prime minister, it takes courage to speak so openly about these issues.

“What gave me the final determination to speak openly and publicly about these topics was my interactions and discussions with citizens of Armenia over the past month. I see that this discourse has a direct and organic connection with the desires, goals, and aspirations of the people of Armenia, and we will move forward along this path,” Pashinyan said.

He expressed confidence that the people of Armenia will support this strategy, as it offers a significant opportunity to recognize their own interests.