Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speaking at a Civil Contract campaign event, said that being re-elected as Prime Minister is not his priority—what matters is that the Armenian people alone decide who leads the country.

“I have said and I continue to say: anyone who takes even a single sum from the state budget of the Republic of Armenia is my personal enemy,” he said at a meeting with citizens in Verin Artashat, Ararat Province amid the campaign for the June 7 elections. 

“And this principle must be respected by everyone, because taking from the state budget means taking from each and every one of you, since the state is you. You are the Republic of Armenia, the owners of the Republic of Armenia, while the Prime Minister is merely a hired employee, and you decide who will be Prime Minister. Yesterday, you decided that I should be [Prime Minister]—and I am. I am doing my utmost to ensure that our state is prosperous and flourishing. If tomorrow you decide that I should not be, I will obediently carry out your decision—whatever you decide. For me, the most important thing is not to be elected Prime Minister; the most important thing is that always and forever the people, and only the people, decide who the Prime Minister is.”

“The revolution primarily happened for this reason,” said Pashinyan, referring to the 2018 Armenian revolution.

Pashinyan also congratulated the gathered citizens on the establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, emphasizing that the people must uphold it.

“As someone who has led Armenia for eight years with your mandate, I reserve the right to say the following. First, I want to congratulate you on the establishment of peace in Armenia. I also want to say that the most important question for the 2026 elections is this: will our people uphold the peace, or will they not? It is very important that our people uphold peace, because peace will ensure our independence, our prosperity, and the continuity of our state,” he said.