In order to assess the progress of democracy in Armenia, it is necessary to note that along with democratic reforms, Armenia has faced external security challenges. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated about when speaking at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit 2024 and attending the discussion entitled "From the frontline: Armenia’s defence of democracy."
Armenia has faced external security challenges: the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh, the invasion of Armenia’s sovereign territories by Azerbaijani troops in 2021-2022, and their occupation of more than 200 square kilometers of the sovereign territory of Armenia amid the indifference and inaction of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The forced displacement of more than 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh has made Armenian citizens question whether democracy is the right choice, or whether democracy means less security, Pashinyan emphasized.
According to the Armenian PM, democracy must prove its effectiveness in facing security, economic, and humanitarian challenges. We hope to see global democracy stand with us to meet all these challenges. We are satisfied with the deployment of the EU monitoring mission along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and we welcome the decision of the EU to expand the mission's capacity, said the premier, expressing hope that Armenia will be included in the programs of the European Peace Facility, and, that in this regard, Yerevan relies on the support of EU member states.
Pashinyan reflected also on the Armenia-EU-US high-level meeting held in Brussels on April 5. The European Union and the United States undertook a new set of commitments to address Armenia's economic resilience, state institutions, and the humanitarian needs of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh at a high-level meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and myself on April 5 in Brussels, announced the Armenian premier, and emphasized that the quick and effective implementation of these commitments is extremely important.
