Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivered a wide-ranging defense of his administration’s policies and vision at the Armenian Forum for Democracy, pushing back against accusations from former leaders, outlining constitutional reform plans, and reaffirming Armenia’s democratic trajectory.

Responding to criticism from former presidents Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharyan, and Serzh Sargsyan, Pashinyan argued that Armenia was already at war well before his tenure and rejected claims that he dragged the country into the 2020 conflict. “If we dragged the country into war, then what was an 18-year-old soldier doing outside the internationally recognized territory of Armenia as of 2018?” he asked. He accused the former leaders of both starting and abandoning wars, saying: “The same people who dragged Armenia into war from the very first day of their political careers – and fled halfway through – are now accusing us of dragging Armenia into war.”

Turning to institutional reform, Pashinyan called the adoption of a new constitution the “reform of reforms,” stressing that Armenian citizens must feel genuine ownership over the country’s legal and political order. He noted that no constitutional referendum since 1995 has garnered support from more than half of the population, describing this as evidence of alienation. “People still feel that some group has imposed this order upon them – whether that group is part of the Armenian elite or from another country,” he said. A new constitution, he argued, would represent a true social contract and help resolve long-standing institutional challenges.

Pashinyan also presented Armenia as a democratic leader, saying that elections have been free and fair since 2018 and that the press operates independently. He urged civil society to take a stronger stand against hate speech, which he said undermines democratic discourse. “Is democracy about using hate speech? Is democracy about directing sexual insults at a young child? … I would give a standing ovation if there were even two organizations fighting against hate speech,” he said, adding that self-reflection is the essence of a healthy democracy.

On governance, he asserted that systemic corruption has been eliminated since the 2018 revolution. He cited the prosecution of high-ranking officials as proof that no one is above the law and promised that systemic corruption would not return under his administration.

Finally, Pashinyan reaffirmed Armenia’s long-term European orientation, saying that the government’s priority is to bring Armenian governance, economy, and institutions up to EU standards. “Even after achieving those standards, we may still not become an EU member. But our main goal is alignment with EU standards. Once we reach that point – if we are admitted, that’s great. If not, we will still have achieved our objective,” he said.