Pashinyan Announces Transition to a "Fourth Republic": New Government Program Eliminates "Logic of Conflict"

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented the government program for 2026-2031. According to him, the document is based on the ideology of "Real Armenia" and envisions the country's transition to what the authorities call the "Fourth Republic."

Speaking at a government meeting, Pashinyan linked this concept to a change in government policy.

"From its very first day, the Third Republic was based on the logic of conflict; the Fourth Republic was formed on the logic of peace," the Prime Minister emphasized.

He explained that the previous state concept was linked to the idea of ​​restoring historical justice. It was from this concept, he said, that the Karabakh movement emerged.

"Certain actions also followed from this concept, and the Karabakh movement also proceeded from this concept. The Karabakh movement was one of the areas for the practical implementation of this concept," he said.

Now, according to Pashinyan, this logic is no longer part of the government's new program. He noted that a significant portion of middle-aged and older Armenian politicians, as well as many members of the younger generation, were associated with the ideology of the Karabakh movement—including those currently in power.

The Prime Minister stated that in recent years, the government has revisited several previously closed chapters of history. This, he said, has allowed it to formulate a new political agenda centered on peace and the concept of "Real Armenia."

Pashinyan also said his government's experience since coming to power in 2018 has influenced its current course. Initially, the authorities intended to pursue reforms, but soon focused on crisis management—first due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then due to the war and the post-war situation.

"Most of our agenda was devoted to the logic of crisis management." "That's why it was objectively impossible to devote as much attention to the agenda of the popular, non-violent, velvet revolution of 2018 as we should have in 2018-2019," Pashinyan said.

Now, the Prime Minister believes, the peaceful situation allows us to return to the part of the reform program that remained unrealized.

"The good news is that during the crisis, we never stopped implementing the reform program. We must continue and give new impetus to democratic, anti-corruption, economic, and public-economic reforms," ​​he stated.

The new government program also includes changes to the work of state institutions. In particular, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia is planned to be renamed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. Among the priorities are the protection of human rights, economic diplomacy, the development of artificial intelligence, and healthcare.

Pashinyan also announced that the program will be presented in detail to the National Assembly. The government must present it to parliament within 20 days of its formation. If the document is approved, the government will have three months to prepare a five-year action plan for its implementation.

Pashinyan links the change in the state concept to the results of the parliamentary elections on June 7, 2026.

"Based on the results of the elections on June 7, 2026, the ideology of 'Real Armenia' ultimately won, meaning that the ideology of 'Real Armenia' has become the official ideology in the Republic of Armenia. Thus, Armenia is entering a stage in its history that we call the Fourth Republic," the Prime Minister concluded.

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