Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan voiced strong support for India’s right to defend itself against terrorism during a parliamentary session addressing the recent escalation between India and Pakistan. Speaking at the National Assembly, Mirzoyan reaffirmed Armenia’s principled stance on combating terrorism and supporting victims, reportsArmenpress.
“There was a terrorist attack. The Republic of Armenia responded very quickly, condemned the act of terrorism, expressed condolences to the families and relatives of the victims, and showed solidarity. We—and I believe any country that considers itself civilized cannot welcome terrorism; it can only condemn it. And I believe we must also recognize a country’s right to defend itself against terrorism. This is the prism through which we view and understand this issue; that is our position,” said Mirzoyan.
The remarks follow a sharp rise in tensions between India and Pakistan. On the night of May 7, Indian armed forces conducted strikes on nine targets within Pakistani territory, which New Delhi stated were being used by terrorist groups. Indian officials emphasized that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted.
The escalation was triggered by a terrorist attack on April 22 near the town of Pahalgam in India’s Jammu and Kashmir state. The attack killed 26 people, including one Nepali citizen. Indian authorities have stated they possess evidence linking the assault to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Mirzoyan’s comments reaffirm Armenia’s consistent policy of unequivocally condemning terrorism and supporting the right of sovereign nations to protect their citizens from such threats.
In contrast, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the military strikes against Pakistan, expressing concern over the escalation. “We condemn military attacks against the Islamic Republic of Pakistan that killed and injured several civilians. Being in solidarity with the people of Pakistan, we express condolences to the families of the innocent victims and wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured. We call on all parties to exercise restraint and to resolve the conflict through diplomatic means,” the statement read.
Background on Armenia–Pakistan Relations
To note, Pakistan is the only country in the world that does not recognize Armenia as a sovereign state—a position it has maintained since Armenia’s independence in 1991. This stance stems primarily from Pakistan’s alignment with Azerbaijan over the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) conflict and its close strategic partnership with Turkey. Despite Armenia and Azerbaijan recognizing each other as sovereign states, Pakistan has conditioned recognition of Armenia on the latter relinquishing any claims to Artsakh.
Pakistan has consistently supported Azerbaijan in both the First and Second Artsakh Wars, as well as during the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive that displaced over 100,000 Armenians from the region. The trilateral alliance between Turkey, Pakistan, and Azerbaijan—rooted in military cooperation and mutual support on regional conflicts—has further deepened Islamabad’s hostility toward Armenia.
In 2015, Pakistan explicitly stated it would not recognize Armenia until it withdrew from Artsakh. Armenia, in turn, vetoed Pakistan’s bid for observer status in the CSTO in 2016 and has voiced support for India on the Kashmir conflict, further straining ties. To date, there are no formal diplomatic relations between the two countries.
