Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, at a meeting with representatives of the Armenian-American community at the Armenian Embassy in Washington on February 4, argued that the loss of Artsakh has forced an “ideological change” in Armenia to focus on the Republic of Armenia and its survival as an independent sovereign state.

This viewpoint is the crux of Pashinyan’s “Real Armenia” ideology that he’s touted of late.

In April 2024, he argued that Armenians must clearly understand the difference between today’s Republic of Armenia and the abstract conception of historic Armenia.

Pashinyan argued that these differing conceptions of Armenia came to the forefront after the defeat of Armenian forces in the 2020 Artsakh War and the Azerbaijani seizure of Republic of Armenia territory afterwards.

Pashinyan, in Washington D.C., Pashinyan claimed that his administration is working to ensure the security, well-being and happiness of its own citizens.

“In my opinion, we will do this if we can create a situation where we will be able to live in our region, in the environment of our neighbors, without external help,” Pashinyan said, noting that this doesn’t mean that there will be no cooperation with various geopolitical centers.