At the annual "Armenian Democracy Forum" in Yerevan on May 31, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said there are no internal threats to democracy in Armenia; all threats are external. 

"These threats are well known and obvious to everyone," he said. "But we all must be able to prove and answer the most pressing question in society - is democracy capable of providing security? This is a really important question, and we all believe that there is a positive answer to it. But this still needs to be proven," the Armenian leader noted. The head of government called the freedom of the press and the holding of fair elections in modern Armenia, not an achievement but commonplace.

According to him, when the velvet revolution took place in Armenia in the spring of 2018, many believed that in the conditions of post-revolutionary euphoria, the government simply did not see much need to restrict freedom of speech. "However, subsequent events showed that such assessments were not true. And the same early elections in June 2021 demonstrated a commitment to democratic values," Pashinyan said. "Of course, these elections were not without flaws. The political atmosphere and political culture are issues that need to be addressed," he added.

"Many institutional reforms aimed at the further development of democracy are still in process; they should lead to a higher level of protection of human rights, the rule of law, and anti-corruption policies, said the leader of the velvet revolution," Pashinyan stated. He is convinced that the current achievements of the Armenian economy are largely due to the level of freedom in the republic. "If the economy were controlled by the state, then the country would have very serious and deep problems, especially in the post-war period. But since freedom reached the economy, it came to our aid at the most difficult moment," the prime minister said.

Pashinyan further assured that democracy would continue to be one of Armenia's main brands, expressing hope that this brand will be accompanied by the country's high economic growth and the establishment of peace in the region. According to him, it is this trinity - democracy, economic growth, and peace - that should serve the strategic goal of Armenia's development.

"We are talking about freedoms, but freedom is not an end; freedom is a means of ensuring human well-being and happiness. This is the highest goal we set for ourselves because our task is to ensure that, in conditions of freedom and democracy, people in Armenia are prosperous, secure, happy, and able to do what they love and ensure their well-being. Of course, in our opinion, democracy is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for this, and we must provide other institutional conditions for this vision to become a reality," Pashinyan concluded.

Moreover, Pashinyan said that the field of maneuver for Armenia in the context of the ongoing geopolitical crisis around Ukraine is gradually narrowing. 

The head of government was asked about external threats to democracy in Armenia. According to him, when the Russian-Ukrainian conflict began, Armenia tried to take a balanced position, including during various votes on international platforms. "And such a position met with satisfaction from all partners," Pashinyan noted. "But it is clear that over time, the field of maneuver for Armenia and everyone else is narrowing. This is a very serious challenge and problem for everyone, especially for Armenia, given its vulnerability," the prime minister stressed.