Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on June 28 called for an end to the use of profanities and so-called “hybrid targeting” in Armenia’s public and political discourse, urging a shift toward respectful, fact-based debate.

“I propose that we reach a public consensus to stop using profanity and engaging in hybrid targeting in the social, political, and public spheres — and instead switch to exclusively civil and respectful debates, based on verified facts,” Pashinyan said in a post on social media.

He proposed July 1 as a symbolic starting point for this reset in tone and pledged to personally uphold the standard. He added that he would be observing the public’s response in the week ahead.

The appeal comes amid rising tensions between the government and its critics, including opposition figures and Church leaders. Pashinyan himself has faced backlash in recent weeks for using harsh language in public statements directed at clergy and opponents. His latest remarks appear to be both a reaction to that criticism and an attempt to reframe Armenia’s increasingly polarized political atmosphere.