The ruling political party is campaigning for the National Assembly elections with the slogan “Stand Up for Peace.” One of the participating parties aims to liberate Artsakh and Nakhichevan, while another is planning to gradually reduce the duration of mandatory military service to 90 days.<\/p>\n
How do the political parties and alliances participating in the elections envision the ways to strengthen peace and ensure security in our country?<\/p>\n
At the beginning of the Civil Contract<\/strong> pre-election program, Nikol Pashinyan addresses citizens and urges them to stand up for peace. The program concludes with the phrase, “Your Nikol.” The call to “Stand up for peace” is a recurring theme throughout all pages and sections of the program.<\/p>\n The program outlines the demarcation process of the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which began in 2024. It also mentions the establishment of principles for unblocking transport infrastructure signed in Washington in 2025, and the initialled peace documents. The key steps<\/a> for institutionalising peace are as follows: the continuation of the demarcation process, the implementation of the TRIPP project in line with the Washington Declaration of August 8, 2025, and the TRIPP Implementation Framework adopted by the governments of Armenia and the United States on January 14, 2026.<\/p>\n According to the program, regional communications will be fully unblocked. It also mentions the final signing and ratification of the Peace Treaty, along with the implementation of the steps outlined in it.<\/p>\n In a balanced and balancing foreign policy, the focus is on “regionalisation, which aims to ensure that the Republic of Armenia can thrive comfortably in its own environment without relying on external support. Strengthening relationships with Georgia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Turkey, and the Republic of Azerbaijan is very important, and the Civil Contract party is committed to pursuing this approach.”<\/p>\n Regarding membership in the EAEU and the EU states: “As long as the reforms aimed at aligning with the European Union and meeting EU membership criteria do not conflict with membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, the Republic of Armenia will continue to be a member of the EAEU and will enhance its trade and economic relations with other member states.”<\/p>\n The Armenia Alliance<\/strong> has not submitted a pre-election program to the Central Electoral Commission, and the program is not available on the official website. Members of the Alliance frequently discuss the peace treaty, foreign policy, and relations with Azerbaijan during press conferences and interviews. Robert Kocharyan, the second president of Armenia and the first name on the pre-election list, emphasises that Armenia’s security should be built on a strong army, reliable allies, and effective deterrence mechanisms. In the “Big Politics” podcast, he argues that peace cannot rely solely<\/a> on “the goodwill of one person” and that international guarantees and third-party guarantor states are essential. While Kocharyan considers Russia a guarantor of security, he cautions against relying solely on a single power centre. He believes efforts should be made to normalise relations with Azerbaijan, as a state of perpetual conflict is not a viable solution. However, he acknowledges that it is challenging to trust the Azerbaijani government, which frequently communicates using threats.<\/p>\n The Strong Armenia<\/strong> pre-election program consists of seven sections, with the final two focusing on foreign policy and security strategy. The program emphasises that guaranteed and lasting peace is a crucial component of regional stability. It asserts that “peace is possible only with the existence of legally valid and mutually reinforcing treaties.”<\/p>\n According to the Strong Armenia program, the guarantors of peace must have clearly defined contractual obligations and rights. The final legally binding treaty should be founded on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, and the absence of force or threats of force. The program states,<\/a> “The absence of guarantors for the treaty establishing peace, or the presence of only one guarantor, will make the peace vulnerable.”<\/p>\n In the absence of guarantors, Strong Armenia warns that Azerbaijan may resort to the use of force to seize territories from Armenia.<\/p>\n Samvel Karapetyan’s leadership considers it essential to establish a guaranteed and stable peace with Azerbaijan. However, the program emphasises that this peace must involve multiple guarantors.<\/p>\n Strong Armenia also highlights the importance of fully normalising relations with Turkey, including establishing diplomatic ties and opening borders. This should be done without preconditions and without concessions regarding historical truths or national dignity.<\/p>\n The Reformist Party<\/strong> has introduced a pre-election program titled “The 7 Points of the Reformists,” which outlines six key priorities. It is important to note that Point 7 is not available on the CEC website.<\/p>\n The first of these six points addresses security<\/a>: “Adopt a new concept of national security in the context of the current geopolitical transition.”<\/p>\n However, the program does not address critical issues such as a peace treaty, relations with neighbouring countries, the military, or defence.<\/p>\n In an interview with Petros Ghazaryan, Vagharshak Harutyunyan, the former Minister of Defence and leader of the party’s pre-election list, provides additional insights on these matters. He stated that the pre-signed peace treaty has “no legal force, and even if it did, it would mean nothing.<\/a>” Harutyunyan emphasised that the guarantee of security lies in achieving military balance.<\/p>\n The Wings of Unity<\/strong> party’s program starts with a “Manifesto.”<\/a> One paragraph includes a commitment to establishing stable peace.<\/p>\n If this party comes to power, a Military Reform Commission will be established under the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. This commission will develop a strategic program to enhance national defence. It is stated that defence spending will not be allowed to drop below 8 per cent of GDP. By the end of its term, the Wings of Unity party aims to implement smart borders and establish a digital defence system. Additionally, they plan to foster military cooperation with both Western and Eastern nations, including the United States and France.<\/p>\n They believe that achieving a dignified peace in the region is essential to establishing a security framework negotiated rather than imposed. They hold in high regard the TRIPP initiative created by the US administration, along with the commitments made by other international partners, including the EU and Russia.<\/p>\n The program states<\/a>: “We will liberate the sovereign territories of Armenia from Azerbaijani occupation. Our top priority will be the international protection of the rights of prisoners of war, the missing, and the families of fallen heroes.” Furthermore, they emphasise that Armenia will not withdraw any claims, complaints, or applications to international bodies without first documenting violations of fundamental rights and securing compensation.<\/p>\n The National Democratic Alliance<\/strong> bases its state policy on the full implementation of the legal succession principle established by the First Republic<\/a>. This principle emphasises the restoration of the Republic of Armenia’s territorial integrity, including Artsakh. They reject any provision for an extraterritorial corridor through Armenian territory, regardless of how it is formulated. The displacement of the population of Artsakh is viewed as ethnic cleansing. They believe that ensuring the right to a safe and dignified return, along with international responsibility, is the state’s obligation. Additionally, they prioritise the return of prisoners of war and aim to redefine relations with Russia without dependency.<\/p>\n The pre-election program of the Armenian National Congress<\/strong> is titled “Armenia’s Wise Path.” The Congress promises to<\/a> honour Armenia’s international commitments and to continue efforts to establish peace and normalise relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey. It emphasises that, to achieve stable, long-term peace and ensure Armenia’s sovereignty, it is essential to build a communication infrastructure that reduces the country’s dependence on Azerbaijan and Turkey.<\/p>\n The program outlines plans to construct a strategically important transport hub within Armenia that will facilitate connectivity along both the West-East and North-South axes. It states, “With the financing and support of the large international coalition being formed around Armenia and this project, through the ‘TRIPP+BRICS’ initiative, Armenia will overcome its landlocked status and emerge as a strategic international transit centre.”<\/p>\n Furthermore, the Armenian National Congress believes that, in this context, normalising relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey can be achieved effectively and in a balanced way.<\/p>\n The Hanrapetutyun<\/strong> Party plans to withdraw from the joint air defence system with Russia by December 1, 2026. Within a year, they intend to exit the CSTO, allowing them to form alliances with other states. If the Hanrapetutyun comes to power, Armenia will also withdraw from the CIS and the EAEU by 2031, facilitating a transition to economic liberalisation. They aim to sign a new, comprehensive cooperation agreement with Russia based on the current situation, which will involve cancelling agreements made since independence. Additionally, they plan to establish diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey, which will lead to the complete lifting of the blockade on the Republic of Armenia. The party emphasises the importance of implementing TRIPP as quickly as possible. They also plan to<\/a> transition to a professional army, proposing to reduce conscription or the service term by 20 percent each year over five years, ultimately reaching a 90-day training service. This reduction will be achieved by introducing new technological devices that will replace combat-duty soldiers in both air and land operations.<\/p>\n The program of the newly formed party, Kochari \u2013 National Revival and Awakening of the Nation<\/strong>, is not available on the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) website. The party’s leader, Artak Sargsyan, discusses their unconventional plans in media interviews. In an interview with “Hetq,” he says<\/a> that Armenia needs to develop an underground military industry, as well as high technologies and mercenaries, to ensure security. He claims that they could establish an 80,000-strong private army from Africa to reclaim the sovereign territories of Armenia and Artsakh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The ruling political party is campaigning for the National Assembly elections with the slogan “Stand Up for Peace.” One of the participating parties aims to liberate Artsakh and Nakhichevan, while another is planning to gradually reduce the duration of mandatory military service to 90 days. How do the political parties and alliances participating in the Read the full article…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":186,"featured_media":46085,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,212],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crossroads","category-featured-post","author_posts-mariam-barseghyan-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/media.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/media.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/media.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/media.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/186"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/media.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46145"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/media.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46156,"href":"https:\/\/media.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46145\/revisions\/46156"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/media.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/media.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/media.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/media.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}