Pashinyan frames Armenia's balancing policy as sovereignty safeguard

September 1, 2026 at 04:35 PM2 min

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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the SCO Plus meeting in Bishkek on September 1 that Armenia is building state relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan because sovereignty is impossible in a state of conflict. He described a balancing policy in which Yerevan strengthens ties with one geopolitical pole when another threatens independence. Pashinyan said the TRIPP transport project will begin on the ground in the coming months.

Key Facts

Pashinyan said Armenia has signed strategic cooperation agreements with 12 countries, including Georgia, China, Kazakhstan, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Lithuania.
Pashinyan said the process of establishing state relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan became more substantive after peace was established through the mediation of US President Donald Trump.
Pashinyan said the TRIPP project will open transport routes from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean and from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea.
Pashinyan said Armenia is working with Baku and Ankara on opening communications, including through the TRIPP project, whose on-the-ground implementation will begin in the coming months.
Pashinyan said Armenia supports a multipolar world and a balance of interests, and that the absence of balance can threaten states' independence.

Balancing Policy

Pashinyan said Armenia pursues a balanced policy: if the pull of any geopolitical center of power becomes so strong that it could destroy the country's independence, Yerevan activates ties with another pole to preserve balance, sovereignty, and independence. He said Armenia has signed strategic cooperation agreements with Georgia, China, Kazakhstan, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Lithuania. Pashinyan said relations with Iran and India are de facto strategic, and Yerevan is working on formalizing them in documents. He said Armenia supports a multipolar world and a balance of interests, and that the absence of balance can threaten states' independence.

Regional Transport Projects

Pashinyan said Armenia is working with Baku and Ankara on opening communications, including through the TRIPP project, whose on-the-ground implementation will begin in the coming months. He said the project will open transport routes from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean and from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea. Pashinyan said all countries in the region will benefit from the project's implementation. He said the development of regional communications will create additional opportunities for transport routes connecting the Caspian region with the Persian Gulf.