PM warns against “return to the past” as threat to Armenia

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned that Armenia could face the risk of losing its statehood, pointing to depopulation and misguided political approaches as key challenges.

Pashinyan said that dozens of settlements across the country are currently empty and that Armenia as a whole remains sparsely populated, Caliber.Az reports, referring to Armenian media.

“We need to stop searching for a homeland outside the internationally recognised territory of our state, which is 29,743 square kilometres. This territory is not small for prosperity, development, and well-being. Today, dozens of our settlements are empty, dozens of settlements, and in general, our state is sparsely populated,” he said.

According to the prime minister, this situation has been driven by a lack of peace and an insufficient understanding that homeland, identity, and security are tied to the state and its internationally recognised borders.

Pashinyan emphasised that the government is guided by the concept of “Real Armenia,” which prioritises peace and security through relations with neighbouring countries based on mutual recognition of territorial integrity, sovereignty, inviolability of borders, and political independence.

He also warned against political forces advocating for the “return of a lost homeland, restoration of historical borders and justice,” stating that such ideas could lead the country down a dangerous path.

“We have finally escaped this trap, and attempts to lead Armenia back in this direction are an invitation of our state and people to the scaffold,” he stressed.

By Tamilla Hasanova