Politically, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is over, and peace has already been established between the two countries. However, the main challenge now lies not in diplomacy, but in “recognizing the new reality.”

Axar.az informs, citing Sputnik Armenia, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this while speaking in Yerevan at the annual international forum.

“When I talk about peace, it seems strange and even alien to many. Peace is an unfamiliar concept and a new environment for Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the prime minister said.

He noted that over decades of conflict, both sides have grown accustomed to viewing each other exclusively through the lens of confrontation. After the collapse of the USSR, it was the conflict that shaped the political systems, public sentiments, and national identities of both countries.

“Since gaining independence, our societies have not known what peace is. The conflict has defined our thinking, our politics, and relations between our peoples,” Pashinyan said.

According to him, the end of the conflict in a political sense does not mean an immediate change in public consciousness. Overcoming years of hostility requires time, dialogue, and new approaches to perceiving neighborly relations.

The prime minister also commented on the topic discussed in certain circles in Armenia regarding the return of the Armenian population to Karabakh. He noted that this agenda poses a risk to the established peace, as it could return discussions between Azerbaijan and Armenia to the “initial parameters of the conflict.”