Armenian premier urges people to stop seeking restoration of 'historic Armenia'

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Armenian Prime Minister Nikola Pashinyan on Wednesday urged his fellow citizens to stop seeking the restoration of "historic Armenia," saying the path the country has been following has led to its present state, the Republic of Armenia.

"The path we are following has led us to a specific state with specific borders. This is not a defeat, but a great victory of our consciousness over our feelings," Pashinyan said while speaking at the Armenian parliament in the nation's capital Yerevan, in response to calls urging him to revanche the Karabakh region.

Last year, Azerbaijan took full control of its internationally recognized territory of Karabakh, which had been under the occupation of Armenian forces since 1991. Many Armenians viewed the surrender of separatist forces as a defeat for their country and called for revanche.

"A state ideology is being formed in Armenia, the core of which is the state, sovereignty and independence. This is a historic achievement for the citizens of Armenia," Pashinyan said, referring to those who want further confrontation on the issue.

Pashinyan described a road being built in Armenia's Tavush region near the border with Azerbaijan as "a path from historic Armenia to real," implying that Yerevan has abandoned any further claims over Karabakh to pursue rapprochement with Azerbaijan.

Relations between Baku and Yerevan have remained tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Most of the territory was liberated by Azerbaijan during a 44-day war in the fall of 2020, which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement that opened the door to normalization and the demarcation of their border.

Last September, Azerbaijan established full sovereignty in Karabakh following an "anti-terrorist operation" after which separatist forces in the region surrendered.