“I believe we should pursue a just reality, not the restoration of historical justice,” Pashinian told a press briefing. “The more we pursue historical justice, the more we will face new historical injustices.”

His remarks come ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7.

Addressing the 2023 displacement of more than 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijan’s military takeover of the region, Pashinian refrained from characterizing it as “ethnic cleansing.” He said such language would deepen tensions.

“I consider this narrative to be harmful,” he said. “Because we can say ‘ethnic cleansing,’ and they will mirror that accusation… This means entering a path of conflict.”

Instead, Pashinian said his government’s priority is to ensure housing, employment, security, and rights for those displaced, as well as for citizens of Armenia more broadly.

He added that recent discussions with citizens during pre-election visits had given him the confidence to publicly address sensitive issues. “I see that this directly relates to the desires, goals and aspirations of the people of Armenia, so we will go that way,” the prime minister said.

Pashinian also urged voters to support his approach in the upcoming elections. “I believe that the people should stand up for this strategy, and I am sure they will,” he said.

Earlier in the day, speaking at a cabinet meeting, Pashinian criticized what he called “tendencies” to keep displaced Karabakh Armenians in a “refugee status.” He reiterated his government’s position that, while the opposition emphasizes the right of return, such a prospect is unrealistic and risks renewed conflict with Azerbaijan.

He argued that lasting peace requires not only agreements with Azerbaijan but also a shift in public mindset within Armenia. “Peace is not only an agreement, but a state of mind,” Pashinian said.

During the press briefing, Pashinian reiterated that, in the upcoming elections, his Civil Contract party will seek a constitutional majority in parliament, which would allow it to pursue a new constitution without a reference to the 1990 Declaration of Independence in its preamble.

The declaration cites a 1989 act on unification between Soviet Armenia and the then Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast within Soviet Azerbaijan, which Baku views as a territorial claim. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly said that signing a peace deal with Armenia is contingent on the removal of the reference from Armenia’s constitution. Under Armenian law, this can only be done through a national referendum.

“We are the ones who, first of all, need a new constitution without the reference to the Declaration of Independence, because it will allow us to have a lasting state in this region,” the prime minister said.

Asked what his government will do if the new constitution fails to pass in the referendum, Pashinian said it would pursue a new one. “We will go and persuade our people, explain to them. We have no problem. I am convinced that whatever we discuss with our people honestly and fairly, they will understand, because we are representatives of our people,” he added.

Armenia’s main opposition groups reject the policies adopted by the Pashinian government in the wake of a series of military defeats to Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh and in subsequent border clashes. They argue that a peace deal reached at the expense of what they view as unilateral concessions by Armenia is unsustainable and call for its renegotiation.

Pashinian warned last week that any attempt to revise the agreements reached with Baku at a Washington summit last year will result in an “inevitable” war with “disastrous” consequences for Armenia. He also said that his political opponents’ election platforms aim to undermine what he described as the current peace with Azerbaijan. Opposition groups rejected that claim, calling it an attempt to intimidate voters ahead of the elections.

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