Armenian premier finally `lay his cards on the table` `

ArmInfo. With his statements made at the Armenian parliamentary session on August 24, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan finally "lay his cards on the table" and  confirmed what the opposition had been warning about for months.  Narek Karapetyan, head of the Strong Armenia faction, made this  statement in a conversation with journalists in parliament on August  24.

He noted that over all these years, the current government has not  found an area in which it could succeed.  Karapetyan cited its lack  of basic negotiating skills as the reason for this result. "This lack  of this ability has repeatedly caused problems for the country. They  can't negotiate properly. Which partner are we losing for this  reason?" the opposition faction leader asked.

As an example of the government's policy, he noted that, from the  moment Pashinyan took over the Artsakh negotiations, they were viewed  exclusively within the logical framework of war or concessions.   Meanwhile, he argued, there was always a third option: this is the  essence of diplomacy. "If the issue is viewed solely within the  framework of 'either this or that,' then there is no diplomacy.  Diplomacy cannot exist where there are only two options," the  politician argued.

Reacting to Pashinyan's statements regarding amendments to the  Armenian Constitution, regarding Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin  II, and other matters, he noted that the opposition would later issue  a statement and present its position. "Today or tomorrow, we will  issue a statement showing how Pashinyan's statements today reflect  the Armenian Prime Minister's view of what is happening in the  country. He finally 'laid his cards' and confirmed what we've been  talking about for months. For example, regarding the Catholicos, he  directly stated that the problem lies in raising the Artsakh issue,"  Karapetyan concluded.

On August 24, Nikol Pashinyan, while presenting the government's  program for 2026-2031, announced from the parliamentary rostrum that  the text of Armenia's new Constitution would be published in the  coming months. According to him, the new draft Basic Law will not  contain references to the 1990 Declaration of Independence, since  "such a reference would mean a continuation of the Karabakh movement  and a return to the logic of the conflict." He also announced the  preparation of a report on the "deep crisis" in the Armenian  Apostolic Church (AAC), referring to which he repeatedly referred to  Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II by his secular name. This  prompted an uproar in parliament-the opposition began banging tables  in protest, while members of the ruling party applauded. The Armenian  prime minister also announced his intention to deprioritize  international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, noting that this  issue would be removed from the Armenian state's foreign policy  agenda.