Nikol Pashinyan said the building housing the Artsakh Permanent Representation in Yerevan will pass under the control of the Republic of Armenia, while again rejecting the continued operation of Artsakh state institutions in Armenia.
“The building will pass under the control of the Republic of Armenia. There is nothing to maneuver around here,” Pashinyan said during a parliamentary session.
Responding to a question from Strong Armenia member Arega Hovsepyan, Pashinyan said Armenia could not have what he described as “two states” or “two governments” operating within its territory.
“There cannot be two states and two governments in the Republic of Armenia. There cannot be a structure in Armenia under the name you mentioned,” he said, referring to the Artsakh representation.
Pashinyan added that the government would use what he called the “toughest measures” to prevent attempts to establish a second state, government or parliament within Armenia.
The dispute centers on the building at 17A Nairi Zaryan Street in Yerevan, which has served as Artsakh’s permanent representation for decades.
In April 1997, the Armenian government adopted a decision to donate the building to the government of the Republic of Artsakh and instructed Yerevan authorities to formalize the necessary donation and land-use documentation.
The Prosecutor General’s Office later argued, however, that a separate donation agreement required to formalize the transfer was never concluded.
On May 22, 2026, Armenia’s Administrative Court granted a lawsuit filed by the Prosecutor General’s Office and invalidated the registration of the Artsakh government’s ownership of the building, along with its land-use rights.
Representatives of Artsakh have challenged the ruling, arguing that the 1997 government decision itself established Armenia’s intention to transfer the property to the Artsakh government.
The building continued to be used by Artsakh officials and institutions after the forced displacement of Artsakh’s Armenian population in September 2023.
