Nikol Pashinyan declared on November 7 that international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is entirely absent from Armenia’s foreign policy agenda, calling for the country to abandon the pursuit.
Speaking at the “MaskOFF” discussion organized by the “Restart” Foundation in Yerevan, Pashinyan said recognition was not simply a lower priority but was no longer on the agenda.
He also characterized international recognition as a bargaining chip used by foreign powers in their relations with third countries.
The declaration follows earlier statements by Pashinyan and members of his ruling “Civil Contract” party concerning the Armenian Genocide.
In April 2024, ruling-party lawmaker Andranik Kocharyan called for compiling a comprehensive list of Armenian Genocide victims, raising questions about whether the death toll was 1.5 million, 2 million, or fewer. He later described the proposal as his personal opinion and denied questioning the genocide or its death toll.
In January 2025, Pashinyan faced criticism after remarks in Switzerland calling for a reassessment of how Armenians understand the events of 1915 and the origins of the international recognition campaign. He subsequently maintained that the genocide was an indisputable historical fact.
In March 2025, Pashinyan told Turkish journalists that international recognition was no longer a foreign policy priority. In August 2026, he explicitly declared in parliament that the issue would not be on the agenda at all.
His latest remarks come amid Pashinyan’s administration’s efforts to normalize relations with Turkey, which continues to deny the Armenian Genocide.
1.5 million Armenians were killed during the genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire beginning in 1915.
Dozens of countries, including the France, Germany, and Russia, have formally recognized the Armenian Genocide. International recognition has remained a longstanding objective of Armenian communities worldwide, even as Pashinyan’s administration abandons its pursuit as a foreign policy goal.
