We Have Never Been Far from the West to Now Approach It: Nikol Pashinyan

Neighboring countries of Armenia include Iran, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and while we do not have a direct border with Russia, it is certainly a significant and serious player in the South Caucasus region. This was stated by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in an interview with British media.

Regarding the deepening of Armenia's relations with the West, the Prime Minister said, “In fact, we have never been far from the West to now approach it. Even if many point out that the relationships have deepened with the West after the peaceful, velvet revolution of 2018, it’s worth noting that prior to the revolution, Armenia and the EU signed a comprehensive and enhanced partnership agreement. The responsibility for implementing that agreement has now fallen on our government, and of course, the achievements we have made in the field of democracy create objective conditions for dynamic development in our relations. However, I mean to say, if we step out for a moment from the ongoing media flood and currents, nothing unpredictable is happening, especially if we emphasize that since the 2018 revolution we have also stated that democracy for us is not a policy adopted by circumstances but a strategy.”

Pashinyan emphasized that there is also another important aspect, which is the diversification of foreign and security relations. “To put it very straightforwardly and honestly, this is not a cause but rather a consequence, because we are diversifying our foreign relations, but we are not the only ones doing so; even those who considered themselves sufficiently diversified until 2022 are also diversifying. Yes, we are seeing a rapprochement with the EU, but in my observation, nothing extraordinary is happening here; this is a course that Armenia has not newly adopted at all,” he said.