Pashinyan Says Civil Contract’s Election Results Are “Impeccably Legal,” Highlights Direct Dialogue With Azerbaijan

YEREVAN — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that the results recorded by the ruling Civil Contract party in the June 7 parliamentary elections are “impeccably legal” and reflect the free will of Armenian citizens.

Speaking to reporters during a briefing, Pashinyan said Armenian citizens had the opportunity to express their will in the parliamentary elections.

“The election results, particularly those recorded by Civil Contract, are impeccably legal, and at least in this regard, the results reflect the free expression of the will of the citizens of Armenia,” Pashinyan said.

Asked whether the same could not be said about the results recorded by opposition political forces, Pashinyan said there are dozens of criminal cases and published recordings related to alleged vote-buying involving opposition groups.

During the same briefing, Pashinyan also addressed the recent meeting between Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan and Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy adviser to the president of Azerbaijan.

The prime minister emphasized the importance of the fact that the meeting took place in Armenia, rather than outside the region.

“This means that we are moving forward in the direction of the peace process and managing the risks that could arise,” Pashinyan said.

He noted that various issues were raised during the meeting, including matters related to detainees and the management of the border situation.

“I instructed Armen Grigoryan to discuss with his Azerbaijani counterpart whether there was a need for a meeting or not. We are engaged in managing the situation,” Pashinyan said, adding that negotiations between countries are meant to discuss positions, plans, strategies and issues of concern.

Armen Grigoryan and Hikmet Hajiyev met on June 14 in Dilijan. Following the meeting, the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides issued identical statements saying the talks focused on issues related to the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agenda and emphasized the importance of continuing direct bilateral dialogue.