In Virtual Press Conference Pashinyan Says ‘Peace on Agenda’

Pashinyan could not answer whether it will be possible to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey this year since this is a non-unilateral process. But, he says that it could happen. He believes that if these negotiations do not have a result for a long time, both the parties themselves and international partners will lose interest in this dialogue.

But the prime minister himself confirmed the “sincerity of the Armenian government” in this process. Moreover, he argued that all previous leaders of Armenia went to this dialogue with the same sincerity.

Pashinyan said ex-president Robert Kocharyan had stated that Armenia had no territorial claims against Turkey, and this approach was preserved during the years of ex-president Serzh Sargsyan’s rule, and the current government adhered to it.

As for the process of normalizing relations, which the special representatives of the two countries discussed on January 24, according to Pashinyan, if this dynamics continues, serious progress is possible.

Regarding the concern that after the opening of the borders, Turkish goods will damage local production, the prime minister said that the current government is pursuing a policy of developing exports.

In some segments, local goods may lose competition after the opening of borders and the influx of Turkish goods, Pashinyan says. But in contrast, roads will open for the export of local products, which will bring more to the local producer. The government plans to open factories, including copper smelters, for which the export of products is important, and this can be very profitable for Armenia.

Pashinyan stated that Nagorno-Karabakh will also benefit from the opening of communications – both in security and its share of prosperity.

The prime minister recalled the long protests demanding the resignation of the government, which began in Armenia after November 9, 2020, that is, the announcement of defeat in the war in Karabakh. To resolve the political crisis, the ruling party went to early parliamentary elections.

According to Pashinyan, Armenia participated in the mission of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Kazakhstan, since “it is beneficial for Armenia to have a CSTO”, and for “response mechanisms” to effectively operate in the organization. He stressed that the Armenian peacekeepers only ensured the protection of strategic facilities, in particular, the bread factory.

The prime minister said that he would not repeat his mistake and would not say anything about the army, which is classified information. He only said that the reform of the Armenian Armed Forces is going in two directions.

Firstly, “work is going on every day”, which is aimed at creating a efficient army. And the second goal of the country’s Armed Forces is to protect the security of its own territories, and not aggression and the seizure of foreign territories. And, of course, according to Pashinyan, the army should be equipped with the latest military equipment.