YEREVAN — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said 2025 became the first calendar year since Armenia’s independence without casualties from gunfire with Azerbaijan, calling it a direct result of the strategy endorsed by voters in the 2021 snap elections. He emphasized that there have been no border shooting fatalities since March 2024, describing this as the first full year of a “peaceful future” for the country
In a New Year message, Pashinyan said the government’s goal was not to rewrite history, but to shape Armenia’s future by strengthening statehood and sovereignty. He stressed that Armenia’s identity is inseparable from its state, and that reinforcing the state means reinforcing national identity
The prime minister highlighted major diplomatic developments in 2025, including high-level meetings with leaders of the United States, Russia, China, France, Iran, Turkey, and other countries. He said Armenia’s objective in these engagements was to position itself as a fully independent and sovereign state capable of making decisions for its long-term continuity rather than mere survival
Pashinyan described August 8, 2025, as a turning point, when Armenia and Azerbaijan adopted a peace declaration at a White House summit hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump. He noted that the foreign ministers of both countries initialed the Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations, and that earlier border demarcation regulations based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration laid the legal foundation for lasting peace
Addressing the economy, the prime minister said Armenia fulfilled its pledge of average annual growth of around 7 percent since 2021. He noted that Armenia’s economy has expanded by more than 50 percent since 2018, while 2025 tax revenues exceeded the entire 2017 state budget by 30 percent. He credited this progress to businesses and citizens paying legally required taxes and participating in the formal economy
Pashinyan announced the launch of universal health insurance, with the state covering premiums for children under 18 and pensioners over 65, as well as expanded education and infrastructure programs, including hundreds of new or renovated schools and kindergartens. He underscored education as the government’s primary tool for addressing social and economic challenges
Looking ahead to 2026, the prime minister pointed to major international events to be hosted in Yerevan, including the European Political Community Summit and COP-17 on Biodiversity. He also highlighted the upcoming parliamentary elections in June 2026, calling on citizens to defend peace, democracy, and statehood through free and fair elections
Concluding his message, Pashinyan said Armenia has “reached the future and lives in it,” expressing confidence that 2026 will be a year of unity, consolidation, and continued peace.
