Pashinyan defends ending Karabakh movement

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday defended his decision to close the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) issue, calling it his “greatest historical mission” and a necessary step toward securing peace and long-term stability.

Speaking during a campaign event ahead of Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections, Pashinyan said that continuing the Karabakh conflict would have led to “continuous small and large wars,” casualties, and the gradual depopulation of border villages.

He argued that delaying a resolution would have resulted in ongoing bloodshed “both internally and externally” for years, while insisting that his government’s policy shift was aimed at preventing further loss of life.

“More than two years we have had neither fatalities nor wounded on the border,” Pashinyan said, linking the reported calm to his declaration that Armenia would no longer pursue the Karabakh movement. He said the decision was difficult but made in the interest of “our martyrs and our children,” and to move the country toward peace and development.

Concluding his remarks, Pashinyan described the policy as his most significant contribution to Armenia, saying he views peace as the foundation for state development. He urged voters to support what he called the protection of peace, the state, independence, and the country’s future in the upcoming elections.