Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday called on Armenians displaced from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to “overcome the psychology of exile” and integrate into stable living conditions, referring to their housing support program.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Pashinyan said sustainable peace is not merely a signed agreement but also a social and psychological condition within society. He stressed that one of its key elements is helping displaced people move beyond a prolonged state of uncertainty.

Pashinyan criticized narratives urging displaced Artsakh Armenians to wait for a return, warning that such rhetoric only deepens their hardship.

“There is nothing more painful than endless waiting,” he said, adding that promoting such expectations reflects a “imperial policy” that prevents people from settling and rebuilding their lives.

He argued that past understandings of security in Armenia had been flawed, likening them to assembling parts of a car without creating a functioning whole. Pashinyan referred to these perceptions as “Stalinist patriotism,” emphasizing the need for a shift toward a peace-oriented mindset.

The prime minister also said that prior to 2020, Armenia had existed not in peace but in a “frozen conflict,” linking the outcome of the 2020 war to entrenched socio-psychological attitudes.