FM warns opposition could spark war if elected

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Monday reiterated Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s warning that some opposition parties could trigger war if they win the June 7 elections.

Last week, Pashinyan cautioned that the country could face imminent war if certain opposition forces, which he described as being influenced from abroad, win the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Pashinyan said that some groups seek to “revise” the recently established peace. He added that if the opposition wins, war could start as early as September.

When asked how the Prime Minister could mention specific timeframes, and whether his statements constituted blackmailing voters, Mirzoyan, a member of Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party, said:

“I think the timeframe mentioned by the Prime Minister was conditional, meaning he is referring to a short period after the elections. That such a prospect could exist is unquestionable. Some opposition circles hold the ideology that there are territorial issues with almost all neighboring countries, and that we have territorial claims and ambitions. It is obvious that with this mindset, if such people come to power, immediate problems with our neighbors would arise. Considering how countries are trying to address issues these days, there is a very high probability that Armenia would face war immediately. We say that our country needs peace. Under other circumstances, in our deep conviction, it would not be Armenia’s success or development that would be at stake, but Armenia’s very existence as an independent state would come under serious doubt. Peace is our proposal to the citizens, and there is a parallel proposal: ‘No, we don’t need this Armenia at all; we don’t care about it; we want some other Armenia.’ Now, do I see an element of blackmail in our proposal? No, I do not. Why? Because we are doing the right thing — this is our proposal to the citizens of Armenia.”

Responding to a journalist’s remark that the current Armenian government had brought war upon the people, Mirzoyan said that their government did not cause the war; rather, it was the result of more than 30 years of flawed policies.

Pashinyan earlier warned that former President Robert Kocharyan’s Armenia alliance, Gagik Tsarukyan’s Prosperous Armenia, and business magnate Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia all risk triggering a new war if they win the elections.