On June 19, Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, addressed parliament during the discussion of the 2024 state budget, defending his government’s policies, reaffirming Armenia’s sovereignty, and responding to opposition criticism over national debt, Nagorno-Karabakh, and relations with the Armenian Apostolic Church.
During the session, Anna Grigoryan, an MP from the Armenia bloc, questioned Pashinyan and the ruling party about the rising national debt and demanded transparency on how funds had been spent. "I want to understand what strategy you have created for us, for our children?" Grigoryan stated. While Pashinyan replied from his seat that the government could demonstrate its work, Alen Simonyan, Speaker of the National Assembly, offered to arrange a visit for opposition deputies to inspect completed projects. Grigoryan rejected the offer, insisting, "Show the people where the 7 billion went." Pashinyan then proposed setting a date for joint visits, which Simonyan confirmed would be organized.
In a broader political message, Pashinyan declared, "We have not lost Nagorno-Karabakh, but have gained the Republic of Armenia," asserting that the issue had previously been exploited to prevent Armenia from achieving independence. He claimed the 2022 signing of the Prague Declaration, through which Armenia recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, marked a "turning point" in Armenian history, symbolizing its move toward true sovereignty. Pashinyan added that he had "ceased to be the prime minister of the outpost" on that date, implicitly referring to Russia.
Pashinyan argued that for the first time, Armenia was recognized as a sovereign state and stressed that responsibility for the past lay largely with Armenians themselves for not prioritizing territorial integrity. "Today, as a state, we are more independent than ever, we are more sovereign than ever, we are more of a state than ever," he emphasized, framing recent years as a period of success rather than failure.
He also revisited his 2021 campaign slogan, "There is a future," stating that this vision was being realized through a clearly defined national strategy centered on settled relations with neighbors and mutual recognition of borders. "The existence of this project is a guarantee that there is a future," Pashinyan stated.
Addressing regional security, Pashinyan rejected opposition claims about ballistic missiles flying over Armenia, clarifying that no such incidents had occurred and adding that the country’s airspace now sees more aviation activity than ever before.
Finally, Pashinyan criticized the Armenian Apostolic Church and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, indicating he would continue to speak out on the issue. He concluded that while he had additional comments to make about the Church’s leadership, it might be more appropriate to share them on his Facebook page rather than in parliament.