Armenia is at the Crossroads, Says Pashinyan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended a reception organized by 'Save Armenia' in Washington, D.C., in honor of his visit.

Co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit and member of the 'Save Armenia' board, Sem Braumbek, welcomed the Prime Minister's visit and highlighted the organization's commitment to supporting Armenia in advancing its agendas. He noted that 'Save Armenia' aims to unite Christian leaders and other interested parties in aiding Armenia.

The reception was also attended by co-founder of 'Save Armenia' Robert Nicholson, several diplomats, public and political figures. In his speech, Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed his gratitude for the organization of the reception and stated that it is an honor for him to be present at the event along with organizations and friends who have stood by Armenia and the Armenian people for decades.

In his remarks, the Prime Minister particularly noted: “Of course, I must say that Armenia is currently at a crossroads, during a very important period for our country. It is crucial to establish and determine the best ways to assist Armenia on this important and difficult path. Our region, in general, is extremely complex, full of deep historical contradictions that are also reflected today. But I believe that now we must focus on an agenda that opens up prospects for the future, which is the most important thing.”

If you ask me what would be the most effective way to support Armenia from the perspective of the U.S., I would say that including an agenda for achieving peace in the South Caucasus among the priorities of U.S. political leadership would be very significant because, of course, we promote freedoms, including religious freedom, but you know, I believe that the best tool for protecting people's freedoms is sustainable peace. This is because a conflict environment is the most conducive to violating all human rights.

This is why we are now focused on a peace agenda, because we are convinced that only the presence of sustainable peace in our region can guarantee a proper environment for democracy, for the protection of people's rights, and for the development of Armenia. I hope you know that Armenia is now striving for democracy; we are trying to deepen democracy and institutionalize it so that it does not depend on the political will of ruling powers. This is very important. I believe that democracy in Armenia is irreversible.

Right now, there is only one tool being used to try to undermine Armenia's democratic path, and that is the tool of war, escalation, and conflict. This is why we are so focused on this agenda because we are convinced that peace is very important and crucial for freedom, including religious freedom, democracy, and development, as well as for the future and happiness of our people.

Of course, we rely on our friends, on our partners from the 'Save Armenia' organization. We greatly appreciate what has been done so far and hope that your support will continue and that you will increasingly focus, in particular, on supporting the peace agenda. We hope that our peace agenda will also become your agenda, which I believe will serve global prosperity, the global victory of democracy, freedom, and happiness. Thank you.