Pashinyan again flags risk of war from hawkish opposition

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday reiterated why he and his Civil Contract party insist that, if certain opposition forces come to power, it could imminently lead to a new war.

Asked to explain his warnings at a press briefing, Pashinyan appeared to be referring to former President Robert Kocharyan’s recent remarks.

Kocharyan’s alliance intends to run in the upcoming general elections.

“If a political force says that Armenia should not be satisfied with 29,743 square kilometers, that inevitably leads to war; there’s not much room for debate on that,” the Prime Minister said.

Earlier, Armenia’s second President and leader of the opposition Hayastan (Armenia) bloc, Robert Kocharyan, stated that Armenia is a country with a large diaspora and should not be limited to its 29,743 square kilometers of territory.