Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan is calling for an agreement that there will be no clashes within the perimeter of the gathering he has convened, and that everyone will show restraint. Pashinyan said this in response to journalists’ questions in front of the government building, as well as announcing to those gathered via loudspeaker.
Addressing the question of whether he sees a danger of clashes, the Prime Minister said: “The danger is always there; it is tense. But we must all agree that such a thing will not happen in the Republic of Armenia. The most important thing is that we are all calm; we have no enemy within Armenia — this is the most important record. But there are questions that must definitely be discussed, and the discussion of those questions is the purpose of our gathering today,” he said.
To the question of whom the Armed Forces are subordinate to at this moment, the Prime Minister said that the Armed Forces are subordinate to the people of the Republic of Armenia and to the Prime Minister; there is no other option.
Addressing the question of whether the danger of a coup has ended or still exists, Pashinyan said he believes that the danger of a coup is by and large manageable. “I think that is an emotional reaction. And we should not treat our brothers harshly; they have simply drawn some of our comrades in, but even those whom I have decided to dismiss from their jobs — they are all my brothers, they are our brothers, they are soldiers of the homeland, so be at ease,” Pashinyan said.
The Prime Minister stressed that nothing else, no other incident or other situation, can take place. “There must be an atmosphere of brotherhood in the Republic of Armenia, which does not mean that there will be no political debate and no discussion will take place,” he said, and called for no incident whatsoever to be recorded.
Addressing other questions, he noted that he is not sure that his resignation could be a solution to the issue. “I have presented several proposals; unfortunately they have been rejected. I think the people’s government must be preserved and protected,” Pashinyan said, and promised to speak in more detail at 16:00.
The Prime Minister is walking through the streets of central Yerevan, noting that at 16:00 he will explain the essence of the issue in the Square — what has happened. Beside Pashinyan is also his son, Ashot Pashinyan. The Prime Minister stressed that there cannot be a clash in Armenia.
