2025 is the first year that the number of persons returning to Armenia exceeds by 8,860 the number of those leaving the country, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday announced during the ruling Civil Contract party’s parliamentary election campaign in Kotayk Province.

“Emigration has stopped, it’s immigration, we [i.e. Armenian] are becoming more of a state every day, we are becoming more independent, we are becoming more developed,” Pashinyan added, in particular.

“I say that the people of Armenia should have an alternative: to be part of the EAEU or to be part of the European Union. I will not decide that, it will be decided by the powerful, the powerful is the citizen of Armenia. You will decide that. My task is for you to have alternatives, and you have alternatives. (...). It is illogical to threaten Armenia, let's say, with a high price, because there is a response to a threat with a high price, we [i.e. Armenia] will have much more money so that it does not seem expensive to us," Pashinyan said, regarding the statements from Russia.

Also, he stated that Armenia is becoming a crossroads of peace. "This means that Armenia will not be a country of thousands or millions, Armenia will be a country of billions and trillions. (...). Today we are a state that is capable of building its own prosperity. Today we are the country that has a military-industrial complex and sells weapons to developed countries. (...). But we are not preparing for war, we are preparing for peace."