Pashinyan says Armenia will establish ties with Turkey soon

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan defended his government’s “Real Armenia” ideology at the 2026 Global Armenian Summit in Yerevan on Friday, AnewZ reports. He discussed the country’s future, relations with the diaspora and ties with Turkey.

Pashinyan said Armenia’s national aspirations should remain within the borders of the modern Armenian state. Respect for internationally recognized borders, he said, is central to the “Real Armenia” ideology.

“It is good that the border prevents us from expanding east or west,” Pashinyan said.

He added that the same principle protects Armenia from territorial expansion by its neighbors.

In defending the “Real Armenia” concept, the prime minister said state institutions should prioritize citizens’ security, well-being and freedom. He said the ideology was based on Armenia’s “continued existence” and that strengthening the state was the highest expression of patriotism.

“There is nothing more important than the state. If you love your homeland, strengthen your state,” Pashinyan said.

Speaking about the diaspora, Pashinyan said his government wanted to redefine relations with Armenian communities abroad. He stressed that the modern Armenian state should form the foundation of those ties, adding that the country had “only one thing— itself” to offer communities abroad.

During a question-and-answer session, Pashinyan said he was confident Armenia and Turkey would establish diplomatic relations in the near future. He said both countries would need to recognize each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and borders.

“Armenia and Turkey have not yet established diplomatic relations, but I am confident that they will be established in the near future,” Pashinyan said.

The neighboring countries have had no formal diplomatic relations for decades, and their shared border has been closed since 1993.

Pashinyan dismissed concerns that disorder in the Armenian parliament could deter Armenians in the diaspora from returning to their homeland. He said similar incidents occur in the parliaments of various democratic countries and are not unique to Armenia.

“Unfortunately, similar scenes take place in the parliaments of dozens of countries around the world,” Pashinyan said.

The prime minister said such incidents typically occur in democratic countries and pledged that the authorities would work to prevent them from happening again.