International recognition of Armenian Genocide is not among Armenia`s  foreign policy priorities today - Nikol Pashinyan

ArmInfo. International recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not among our foreign policy priorities today, Armenia's Premier Nikol Pashinyan stated in his interview with  Turkish media outlets. 

In this context, he mentioned a historic opportunity to normalize  relations with Turkiye. 

"Our official position is that international recognition of the  Armenian Genocide is not among our foreign policy priorities today.  This is an official formulation, but in this context there are issues  the clarification of which is very essential and important, and I  mainly constantly talk about these issues in a working mode both in  Armenia and abroad, in conversations with our compatriots, and I  think this is a good opportunity to talk about it publicly. First of  all, I must say that, because these discussions and speculations also  take place in Armenia, and not only in Armenia, it is talked about  denial, denying or forgetting the Medz Yeghern.

"I want to be very clear that in Armenia and among Armenians, this is  an indisputable truth. In other words, it is simply impossible to  deny or disavow it in our reality, because it is an undeniable truth  for all of us, but this is not what we are talking about. I want to  tell you directly, if I am not mistaken, about a speech I gave  recently during a meeting with Armenians in Munich, when I said the  following: dear compatriots, when the parliament or government of a  distant country makes a decision, we are very excited about that  decision. This is the case in our reality and there is no secret in  it, and even those very distant countries, when they make such  decisions and when the excitement or joy from that decision fades,  the next moment the following question arises: what does that  decision give us in our relations with our immediate environment?  When we have tensions in our immediate environment, to what extent do  those tensions contribute to stability, peace, etc. in our country,  in our region, and so on.

"It is also here that the question arises, where and how should we  focus on serving the state interests of Armenia, and how and where  should we focus on emphasizing what we know, including historical  truths, and relying on those truths. Because the period in which that  great tragedy occurred was a period when there was no Republic of  Armenia.

"I want us to understand this nuance correctly, there is no absolute  truth in history, history, any perception of history is a political  perception. This is true in general, but there are political forces  that have their own recognized absolute truths about history  precisely by political choice. There are societies, there are states  that have their own absolute truths about history. And this is also  undeniable.

"And therefore, my understanding is that we must use our lessons from  history to serve the interests of our state today, the Republic of  Armenia, the state interest and the interests of the future. And by  the way, I will tell you that in my understanding, this conversation  is ripe both in Armenia and in the Diaspora, but I want to emphasize  again that it is not about changing history or denying history. It is  about changing our applied perception of history. Why, as what  resource should history be used, what knowledge should be gained from  history, which is not an easy question, but I am convinced that it is  necessary.

"This is necessary, and my contacts show that this conversation is  ripe, but it is also important that this conversation matures not  only within Armenia or among Armenians, but also in a regional  context, because that is also an issue. What do we use history for?  So that historical confrontations become eternal, or are historical  confrontations a message for us to build a peaceful, cooperative,  regionally stable future? I am the supporter of this second  perception," Mr Pashinyan said. 

RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's interview with Turkish media  outlets is available here: 

https://www.primeminister.am/en/interviews-and-press-conferences/item/2025/03/13/Nikol-Pashinyan- Interview/