Pashinyan comments on gas prices, recent assault and exposing agents as key election looms
Pashinyan comments on the main events of the past week
The prime minister of Armenia decided not to break tradition and invited journalists to his weekly press conference, despite being on leave due to the election campaign. As usual, Nikol Pashinyan spent an hour answering questions.
In particular, he denied rumors about a gas price increase, spoke about Armenia’s status within the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and discussed Georgia’s role in strengthening ties with the European Union. He also said that the identities of the masked individuals who threatened him in a video are already known. In addition, Pashinyan addressed how the issue of enclaves with Azerbaijan will be resolved. Journalists were especially interested in his comments regarding the exposure in Armenia of agents allegedly passing classified information to foreign states.
The main topics of Nikol Pashinyan’s press conference.
- ‘There will be another revolution on 7 June’ – Nikol Pashinyan confident of public support in election
- What’s behind Russia’s hostile response to Armenia’s deepening ties with EU?
- Opinion: ‘Summit in Yerevan shows European leaders have confidence in Pashinyan’
“The issue of the enclaves will be resolved through border delimitation”
Some Armenian media outlets reported that Google Maps had changed the name of the village of Tigranashen to its Azerbaijani name, Kyarki. However, the prime minister assured that it had been labeled that way before as well. At the same time, he emphasized that the issue of Tigranashen would be resolved during the border delimitation process.
The possible return of the enclaves (Tigranashen — Kyarki, Verin Askipara, Sofulu, and Barkhudarly) remains a matter of concern in Armenia. If there is no exchange of enclaves and these villages are handed over to Azerbaijan, several sections of strategically important roads connecting Armenia with Georgia and Iran would come under Azerbaijani control. However, no decision has been made yet.
Meanwhile, back in 2024, Yerevan and Baku agreed on the regulations governing the joint work of the commissions on delining the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The sides agreed to carry out delimitation based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. This means that Armenia and Azerbaijan mutually recognise each other within the borders of the former Soviet republics. So far, delimitation and demarcation have been completed along a 12-kilometer section of the Tavush-Ghazakh border. The commissions continue their work, but there has been no visible progress on the ground so far.
Pashinyan reiterated his position on the issue. He believes that Armenia cannot refuse negotiations on the enclaves because it has its own enclave — Artsvashen — which is part of the country’s sovereign territory.
However, according to the prime minister, there is currently “no agreement, concept, or strategy” for resolving the issue.
“If, during the delimitation process, as provided by the regulations, some kind of optimisation takes place, then it may happen. And if such a decision is made, everything will happen publicly and transparently. But definitely and unequivocally, as a result of delimitation, the territory of Armenia will amount to 29,743 square kilometers. This is iron logic,” he said.
“We have identified the group of masked individuals”
Earlier this week, a video appeared online showing five masked individuals armed with assault rifles threatening Pashinyan with violence for what they described as him having “surrendered Artsakh.” Armenia’s Investigative Committee launched a criminal case “on charges related to a group conspiracy to commit murder, computer sabotage, and the illegal trafficking of weapons and ammunition.”
Immediately after the video was circulated, the prime minister promised that “law enforcement agencies would drag them face down across the asphalt and throw them into a correctional facility.” However, the suspects have not yet been found. Pashinyan told journalists that investigators have so far managed to identify a group of people connected to the video:
“In essence, the individuals whom we believe appear in this video have not been in Armenia since 2024. This is operational information. We do not have evidence yet.”
“We monitor agents, only then detain them”
Journalists were interested in the arrest of former MP Andranik Tevanyan, who was charged with treason and espionage. Armenia’s Investigative Committee stated that he had been engaged in intelligence activities for two years. In this regard, Pashinyan was asked why the law enforcement authorities had taken so long to respond to his alleged illegal actions.
The prime minister replied that agents are not detained immediately in order to uncover their connections:
“We have other espionage cases as well. We do not stop spies straight away because we actively monitor them in order to identify their networks and methods of operation. Not to mention that the instructions they receive provide us with information about the intelligence activities being carried out against us.”
According to Pashinyan, agents are detained only when “the operational interest has been exhausted”.
On 21 May, Armenia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against former parliament member Andranik Tevanyan. He is currently included on the electoral list of the Prosperous Armenia Party. Investigators allege that he engaged in espionage on behalf of a representative of foreign intelligence services and the director of the Russia–Caucasus geopolitical centre. In exchange for $622,000, he allegedly passed on classified information regarding a secret parliamentary session held in April 2024.
Tevanyan denies the charges. He argues that he resigned his parliamentary mandate in 2023 and therefore could not have had access to information about parliamentary sessions held in 2024.
“Azerbaijanis will not be resettled in Armenia”
For some time now, Armenia’s opposition has been claiming that the current government has agreed to resettle 300,000 Azerbaijanis in Armenia. A similar statement was made by Samvel Karapetyan, the leader of the Strong Armenia Party, a Russian businessman and billionaire. Karapetyan is currently under house arrest on charges of publicly calling for the seizure of power. In a video address, he demanded: “If this is not true, let Nikol Pashinyan stand up and say that it is a lie.”
“This is a lie. The Kalugan oligarch [Karapetyan began his business activities in Kaluga, Russia] said that I should stand up and say it is a lie. I am saying it while sitting down,” the prime minister replied.
Asked whether he could guarantee that Azerbaijanis would not be resettled in Armenia while he remained in power, Pashinyan said:
“I guarantee it. And this is linked to what I have been saying: the Karabakh issue is closed. There will be no return to Karabakh, no return to Nakhijevan, no return to Baku, no return to Sumgait, no return to Kirovabad, no return to Yevlakh, and so on.”
The prime minister believes that the issue of return is “a subject of conflict, not peace”.
“Only Armenia can discuss the question of its status in the EAEU”
“The number of people who want to provoke a crisis in Armenian–Russian relations is large, both in Armenia and in Russia. But, as I have already said, we will not argue with Russia, let alone fight with it, because that would be unserious,” Pashinyan stated.
According to him, Armenia respects Russia and its interests.
As for Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, he stressed that, under the union’s charter, only Armenia can decide on its own status:
“Only an EAEU member itself can decide whether to leave the union. There is no other procedure.”
Pashinyan was responding to statements from Russia regarding the alleged incompatibility of Armenia’s membership in the EAEU with the country’s openly declared intention to join the European Union.
A day earlier, Alexey Overchuk stated that, during the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on 29 May, the heads of the member states would discuss Armenia’s status. In Armenia, the statement was interpreted as a hint that the issue of leaving the bloc could be raised.
“There can be no increase in the price of Russian gas”
“There can be no increase in the price of Russian gas, since we have a mutually beneficial contract in place,” the prime minister stressed. He was responding to rumours активно circulating in the media and on social networks about a possible rise in gas prices.
According to Pashinyan, there are “clear strategic agreements” between Armenia and Russia on this issue.
Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission also denied the rumours:
“The issue of increasing natural gas prices is not currently under discussion.”
“On the Ukrainian issue, we are not allies with Russia”
At the beginning of May, Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the summit of the European Political Community in Yerevan. His visit to Armenia and speech at the summit caused a strong reaction in Russia. In Moscow, it was claimed that “Yerevan had broken its promise not to take steps against Russia”.
At the press conference, Pashinyan recalled his 2022 statement that Armenia was not Russia’s ally on the issue of Ukraine.
As for Zelenskyy’s visit, the Armenian prime minister said he saw no problem with it:
“Why should the president of Ukraine not have been able to visit Armenia? What is the problem? How many times has the president of Azerbaijan travelled to Russia? Or how many times has the president of Russia travelled to Azerbaijan during our conflict?”
“Georgia plays a key role in Armenia’s connection with the EU”
Nikol Pashinyan spoke separately about relations between Armenia and Georgia:
“They are strategic, long-term, historic and brotherly in nature. And they will remain so in the future. There can be no other scenario.”
He stressed that Georgia plays “a very important and key role” in Armenia’s connection with the European Union.
“We are very concerned about this situation. We believe that this situation needs to be resolved,” the prime minister said, referring to the difficulties that have arisen in connection with Georgia’s European integration.
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Pashinyan comments on the main events of the past week
