To those who still doubt that the war and the post-war disasters – the depopulation of Nagorno-Karabakh, the occupation of Armenia’s sovereign territories, and the compliant acceptance of all of Azerbaijan’s demands – could have been avoided if the person leading the state had any understanding of diplomacy, foreign policy, and the value of words, I simply recommend listening to just one part of Pashinyan’s speech,” former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan wrote, commenting on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s speech at the European Parliament.

“A man went to the podium of the European Parliament and declared that the bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church had violated certain spiritual rules known only to him, that they are agents of influence, and that they seek to undermine his ‘peace.’

If you cannot imagine what an absurd – at best ridiculous, and at worst contemptible – impression such remarks may have made on those sitting in the hall, I would struggle to describe it in words.

And if you can imagine it, then it is not difficult to understand that since 2018, during the negotiations over Artsakh, before the war, during the war, and in the post-war period up to the present day, the country has been led by a person who has failed to grasp what should be said and what should not be said; what is expected of a statesman; what no one is interested in hearing; and what ultimately reveals weakness, ignorance, fear, and sheer incompetence.

The answer to why Armenia has found itself in its current state lies precisely in this simple reality,” he wrote.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed his anger that the name Artsakh continues to be mentioned during Holy and Immortal liturgies of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

“What does that mean? It means a call to war – nothing else,” he said, speaking with reporters.

According to Pashinyan who declared war against the Church, the Catholicos and other members of the clergy have “taken the leadership of the war party.”

“There should not be such a situation. How can there be six different foreign policies in one country?” Pashinyan emphasized.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that he and the President of Azerbaijan are now speaking not about relative stability but about peace.

He noted that quiet, calm, and consistent diplomatic work is underway toward signing a peace agreement.

“I have no doubt that the agreement will be signed. It may be signed in April, May, June, or September – when exactly is a secondary issue, but it will be signed,” he said.

According to Pashinyan, although the agreement has not yet been finalized, peace has already been established.

He added that there are forces in Armenia – and presumably also in Azerbaijan – that are not satisfied with the establishment of peace and may attempt to reverse it.

“We must stand up for the established peace and make it irreversible,” Pashinyan added.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated during a briefing with journalists that the new Constitution should not include any reference to the Declaration of Independence, while adding that he sees no need to alter the text of the Declaration itself.

“The Declaration of Independence is built on the logic of conflict. We cannot continue with a logic of conflict if we want to build an independent state,” he said, noting that he had already expressed his position in detail in his message on the day of the Declaration of Independence.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday he had asked the director of Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, Edita Gzoyan, to submit her resignation after she presented a book about Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) to U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance during a tour at the Armenian Genocide Memorial. 
 
Speaking at a press briefing in Yerevan, Pashinyan confirmed reports that Gzoyan’s departure was linked to the incident and said the move was necessary because foreign policy is determined solely by the Armenian government. 
 
“When the country’s prime minister says there is no ‘Karabakh movement,’ what does it mean to present a foreign guest with a book about the Artsakh issue?” Pashinyan said. 
“In Armenia, foreign policy is conducted by the government,” he added. “Any state official who says or does something that contradicts the government’s foreign policy must leave their position.” 
 
Responding to a question from reporters about whether Gzoyan’s removal was directly connected to the book given to the U.S. vice president, Pashinyan said: “Yes, I asked her to write a resignation letter. I regarded this as an action contradicting the government’s foreign policy and considered it a provocative act.” 
 
The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, located at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan, is Armenia’s leading state research institution dedicated to the study and commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. 
 
Nagorno Karabakh, or Artsakh, historically populated by ethnic Armenians, has been the center of decades of conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Following a 44-day war in Fall 2020 and occupation of swaths of territory in Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan continued military provocations along the new Line of Contact, and following a 9-month siege of the region (despite presence of Russian peacekeepers), launched a two-day war in September 2023 and took full control of the region, prompting more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians to forcefully flee to Armenia. 
 
Pashinyan’s government has since signaled a shift in policy toward recognizing what he labeled as ‘Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity’ as part of efforts to negotiate a peace agreement between the two countries.