Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said there will be no war as long as his government consistently pursues its peace agenda, walking back the starker warning he made during the campaign, when he suggested that a new war with Azerbaijan could break out in September if his Civil Contract party failed to win a constitutional majority. The party won a governing majority on June 7, but fell short of the constitutional threshold.
“As long as we consistently continue the peace agenda and support it with all possible means, there will be no war; there will be peace,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing Thursday, when asked about the campaign statement, adding that the authorities will protect peace at all costs.
Pashinyan pointed to the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity as one of the ways peace will be institutionalized, saying the corridor will clearly include a railway, a motorway, and a power transmission line, while oil and natural gas pipelines remain under question since they depend more on partners. “These three components are already peace. Imagine: we are traveling through the territory of Azerbaijan, they through Armenia. Trains are moving. This is peace,” he said.
He said work will continue on signing and ratifying the peace treaty with Azerbaijan, on securing the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan, and on determining the fate of the Armenian missing, with the aim of closing this difficult chapter, while border delimitation also continues. “Bilateral trade is developing. I am confident that this direction will continue to develop,” he added.
Throughout the race, Pashinyan referred to the Strong Armenia Alliance, the Armenia Alliance, and the Prosperous Armenia Party as the “tripartite war party,” arguing that their victory in the June 7 polls would have triggered a new war.
According to preliminary results, Civil Contract received 49.825 percent of the vote, while Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia Alliance secured 23.281 percent and former president Robert Kocharyan’s Armenia Alliance received 9.934 percent. Gagik Tsarukyan’s Prosperous Armenia Party sits just below the 4 percent electoral threshold at 3.996 percent, with recounts underway ahead of the final results announcement on June 14.
Pashinyan Says He Will Visit Russia if Invited
During the same briefing, Pashinyan also addressed Armenia’s relations with Russia, saying he would visit Moscow if he receives an official invitation. “There has been understanding regarding a visit to Russia, but there must be an invitation for me to go. If there is an invitation, I will go; I will definitely not refuse it,” Pashinyan said.
Before the June 7 elections, Pashinyan said he had agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet in the second half of June after the parliamentary vote. The Kremlin later said that any potential meeting would be considered only after the final election results are published. The statement comes amid heightened tensions between Yerevan and Moscow following Armenia’s closer engagement with Western partners and disputes over trade restrictions and security arrangements.
Armenia Seeks New Transport Routes Amid Russian Trade Restrictions
Pashinyan also spoke about efforts to diversify Armenia’s trade routes and reduce dependence on traditional markets. He expressed hope that the Armenia-Turkey railway could reopen soon, saying that transport links through neighboring countries were expanding. “Both lines of the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway are operating. I discussed this issue with the Prime Minister of Georgia, and he assured me that no problems will arise in either direction. I also spoke with the President of Türkiye, and he confirmed that these routes are open,” Pashinyan said. He added that the opening of the Armenia-Turkey railway, together with the TRIPP project, would significantly increase Armenia’s transportation opportunities.
Pashinyan said Armenia’s long-term efforts to diversify export destinations were now showing results, especially as Russia has imposed restrictions affecting Armenian goods. He said the government is working on creating logistics centers and consolidating producers so Armenian businesses can supply larger markets. “There are mega-chains that are interested, but small volumes are a problem for them,” Pashinyan said, adding that foreign partners, including the Netherlands, had expressed readiness to support Armenian businesses.
Pashinyan Rejects Concerns Over Possible Gas Price Increase
Pashinyan also addressed concerns over possible changes to Russian gas supplies and prices, saying he finds it difficult to imagine Russia unilaterally canceling the existing gas agreement with Armenia. “We have a contract, and moreover, it is a long-term one,” Pashinyan said, adding that the government is considering all possible scenarios.
He said discussions about possible gas price increases have become a recurring topic in Armenia. “For eight years, twice a year, I have been in this conversation,” Pashinyan said. Russia currently supplies gas to Armenia at around $177 per 1,000 cubic meters, while prices in many European Union countries average around $600 per 1,000 cubic meters.
