Any project of the future cannot be implemented without a sufficient supply of optimism. The key question is the following: in these stormy times, is there a necessary reserve of optimism in Armenia not only to talk about the future, to design it, but to build and realize that future? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this on Tuesday, while presenting the report on the implementation and results of the 2022 program of the 2021-2026 program of the government at the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia (RA).

"My answer is unambiguous and unequivocal: in spite of all the difficulties and complications, there is the necessary optimism to talk about the future, plan the future, and build that future in RA; and I am sure of it.

"The news, public discussions do not give such confidence, the international situation even more does not give such confidence. But at this very moment, the construction process of around 55 thousand residences is taking place in the RA. This is about 6 percent of the housing fund ever created in Armenia, 12.6 percent of the housing fund in apartment buildings. In the history of the Third Republic [of Armenia], housing construction has never had such an amount. Today, not only the rich are buying apartments, but also the middle class, who, due to the economic policy being conducted by the [Armenian] government, got the opportunity to work, create, and see the results of their work," said the Armenian premier.

He added: "In the conditions of border instability, RA security vulnerability, collapse of the world order, tens of thousands of RA citizens are acquiring apartments, thousands of investors are building apartments. Why do they do that? In my assessment, it means and can mean one thing: people have believed in the [Armenian] government's peace agenda, they believe that there will be peace and they will have the opportunity to live and create happily in their homeland. Otherwise, it would not make sense to acquire or build an apartment. People believe in the government's slogan, 'there is a future.'”

Pashinyan emphasized that the responsibility of the Armenian government has only one expression: peace, which means having normalized relations with its four neighbors.

"And since we have a task not of normalization, but of deepening relations with Georgia and Iran, then peace means normalized relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey. The question of the questions is as follows: and how realistic is it, how feasible is it? This question has two ‘faces.’ First, to what extent the actions of Azerbaijan will be directed towards peace? And secondly, especially after the 44-day war [in 2020], if compromises are reached at the political-diplomatic level, to what extent will they be acceptable to the RA citizens and to what extent will the citizens allow the practical implementation of these compromises—sometimes painful solutions? This is also our responsibility. And we must make the course of our thoughts and actions understandable to the RA citizens; and when they understand, they will also accept it," said Pashinyan.

He added that when people are explained what happened and what is happening around Armenia, they will understand.

"They understand us. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here," the Armenian PM said.

According to Pashinyan, peace is possible if Armenia's 29,800-square-kilometer-territory is clearly recognized in international relations and Armenia declares that it has no territorial claims from any country.