By Alexander Pracht
Armenia’s major strategy focuses on preventing a war with Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview for the country’s TV Channel One on Saturday. He also added that the Armenian government is optimistic about the ongoing border delimitation process and ruled out that any critical infrastructure would be ceded to Baku.
Preventing war
“There are forces in our region and outside of it who are aiming to escalate the situation. To do that, they use a war of words,” he said, explaining that his government is determined to prevent escalation and to respond to everything in a way so as to avoid war, or at least not to provide any pretext or excuse for aggression.
This was likely a reference to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s press conference earlier this month where he labeled Armenia “a fascist state” and threatened it with war. He also demanded the so-called “Zangezur corridor” be opened, connecting mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhichevan exclave through Armenian territory, allowing Azerbaijani vehicles to cross into Armenia with no border controls.
Border delimitation
Pashinyan also commented on the ongoing border delimitation process that sees Armenia and Azerbaijan outline the border between each other for the first time since becoming independent countries in the early 1990s.
“No strategic infrastructure will be ceded to other countries as a result of delimitation,” Pashinyan said, emphasizing that border delimitation means matching the internationally recognized de jure borders with those on the ground.
Armenia and Azerbaijan began the delimitation process last spring, with Armenia withdrawing from four abandoned Azerbaijani villages, while Baku retracted its troops from a smaller area. The two sides have been relying on Soviet-era maps to outline the roughly 1.000 km border, so far agreeing on a 12 km section separating Armenia’s Tavush province from Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district.
A significant challenge in this process is the presence of a major Armenian highway that runs close to the border and, in some sections, crosses into Azerbaijan. Despite initial concerns, no part of the highway was ceded to Azerbaijan, and it continues to operate without disruption.
The two countries’ delimitation commissions met last week, revealing that the delimitation will be soon continued starting from the northernmost point near Georgia and proceeding southward to Iran. The border issue was largely irrelevant prior to the 2020 Karabakh war, as Armenia controlled vast territories east of the border. However, after Armenian troops withdrew from these areas following the ceasefire agreement, the border with Azerbaijan became the line of contact. This shift triggered a border crisis, with Azerbaijan currently occupying approximately 200 km² of internationally recognized Armenian territory.
Baku prisoners
In a concerning development, Pashinyan revealed that Armenia has intelligence indicating Azerbaijan is using psychoactive substances on Armenian prisoners held in Baku to extract statements aimed at provoking regional escalations. He explained that these actions pose a serious threat to Armenia and assured that all available means are being used to resolve the prisoner situation.
The statement comes amid an ongoing trial in Azerbaijan, where defendants from Nagorno-Karabakh’s former political and military leadership and Armenian POWs are facing criminal charges. The defendants include former Artsakh presidents along with other high-ranking officials and civilians. Ruben Vardanyan, the former cabinet leader of the now-defunct republic, is being tried separately and is facing life imprisonment.
Parliamentary election
Addressing domestic political matters, Pashinyan firmly stated there are no plans for snap elections in his cabinet’s agenda. He explained that his recent increased activity on social media stems from the need for greater transparency and communication with citizens. Armenia is to hold parliamentary elections in June 2026, with Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party looking to secure an overwhelming majority in parliament and control the government for a third consecutive term.
Female officials
The Prime Minister also addressed gender representation in government positions, stating that appointments are made based on candidates’ effectiveness rather than gender. This comes after Armenia has seen a sharp rise in senior female officials during recent years, remarkably in law enforcement and national security. Notable appointments include Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan and Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan, both added to the government in a major cabinet shake-up last November, as well as Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan and Foreign Intelligence Service Chief Kristinne Grigoryan.
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