Pashinyan openly defended the possible surrender of additional Armenian territories to Azerbaijan during a campaign event, declaring that “the conflict is over” while Azerbaijani forces continue occupying more than 200 sq. km of sovereign Armenian territory.
The remarks came after a voter asked which areas Armenia could ultimately lose following earlier statements by Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan regarding Azerbaijani enclaves inside Armenia. Instead of rejecting the prospect of further concessions, Pashinyan directly referred to the so called Azerbaijani enclaves of Barkhudarli and Kheyrimli and stated that “solutions” would be found through the ongoing border delimitation process with Baku.
Pashinyan also attempted to downplay the issue by claiming that terms such as “occupation” now belong “to the past,” despite the continued Azerbaijani military presence inside Armenia and Baku’s repeated refusal to fully recognize Armenia’s territorial integrity.
When confronted over Azerbaijan’s ongoing rhetoric about “Western Azerbaijan” and its refusal to withdraw troops from occupied Armenian territory, Pashinyan dismissed the concerns and instead blamed the Armenian opposition for raising the issue.
The statements are expected to fuel further accusations that Pashinyan is preparing new territorial concessions under the guise of “delimitation,” after already surrendering territories in Tavush in 2024 as part of his government’s border agreement with Azerbaijan. Critics argue that the process has produced unilateral concessions while Azerbaijani troops continue to remain inside Armenia proper.
