Kocharyan accuses Armenian leadership of stoking war fears

Robert Kocharyan, Armenia’s second president and the prime ministerial candidate of the opposition Hayastan alliance, on Saturday accused the current Armenian authorities of deliberately heightening public fears about national security and the risk of renewed conflict.

Speaking at a meeting with residents of Masis, Kocharyan said the leadership of Armenia was “on a daily basis” attempting to convince citizens that the country is unsafe and under threat of war.

“Ordinary citizens want the state to stand beside them, not sit on their shoulders wielding a stick,” Kocharyan said, describing what he framed as the public’s core expectations: stability, predictability, and economic security.

He said people want steady employment and a reliable livelihood, while farmers seek access to markets for their produce. Business owners, he added, require a transparent and consistent tax regime, and households expect property taxes to remain affordable rather than burdensome.

Kocharyan also highlighted what he described as the psychological strain caused by uncertainty, arguing that the absence of stability leaves people feeling persistently anxious about their future and that of their children.

He questioned why concerns over security have become so dominant in public discourse. “Everyone I meet asks whether there will be a war, whether the country is secure,” he said. “Why has this become the central question?”

Kocharyan blamed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his administration, alleging they are actively amplifying fears of conflict.

“Today, it is the authorities themselves who are fuelling the narrative of war on a daily basis,” he said.