Oskanian urges Armenian-Americans to avoid meeting with Pashinyan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Former Foreign Minister of Armenia, Vartan Oskanian, has addressed members of the Armenian-American community, urging them to decline the invitation to meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Armenian Embassy on February 3.

According to Oskanian, the distortion or diminishment of the greatest tragedy in Armenian history by the country's leader is "nothing short of betrayal."

"Dear representatives of the Armenian-American community and organizations, I appeal to you regarding the invitation to meet with Nikol Pashinyan at the Armenian Embassy on February 3. This meeting is not merely a diplomatic formality. It is a calculated attempt by a leader with a tarnished reputation to seek your audience. I urge you not to attend the meeting and not to become part of his desperate move.

Pashinyan is a failed leader under whose tenure the Armenian people are experiencing the most disastrous period in their modern history. Armenia has suffered significant territorial losses, military defeat, and national humiliation. The complete fall of Artsakh, the displacement of 150,000 Armenians, and the deaths of thousands of young soldiers are direct consequences of his reckless, incompetent, and shortsighted policies. Pashinyan is the main and only obstacle to including the right of return for the people of Artsakh on the international agenda, despite the clear willingness of the global community to address and support this fundamental right.

Today, Armenian prisoners remain in Azerbaijani captivity, parts of Armenia's sovereign territories are occupied, and further concessions are anticipated—all under his responsibility. His government's actions have undermined Armenia's security, dignity, and standing in the world. His continued rule poses a direct threat to the survival of the Armenian nation.

The Armenian people have already rendered their verdict on Pashinyan. According to recent polls, only 10 percent of Armenians support him. A leader with such low support, who governs not through legitimacy and competence but through fear and misinformation, has no right to speak on behalf of the Armenian people. His presence at the Armenian Embassy in Washington is an insult to the Diaspora, which has remained committed to the survival and dignity of the Armenian nation.

Pashinyan's power is not based on democratic legitimacy but on systemic corruption and institutional decay. Armenia's once promising democracy has turned into a one-man rule, where a captured judiciary, muzzled press, and weakened civil society serve only to obscure his government's accountability.

On the eve of his departure to Washington, Pashinyan initiated criminal proceedings against an Armenian simply for publishing a video highlighting the humiliating actions of a group of Azerbaijanis in Yerevan's Republic Square, drawing public and official attention.

His government has established a culture of corruption, channeling public funds into the pockets of loyalists, leaving citizens in disillusionment and poverty. Meanwhile, political polarization and distrust have fractured Armenian society, making unity and collective action nearly impossible. These are not the traits of a leader working for his people but of an opportunist clinging to power at any cost.

Perhaps the most shameful act of Pashinyan's tenure is his recent rhetoric about the Armenian Genocide. The distortion or diminishment of the greatest tragedy in Armenian history by the country's leader is nothing short of betrayal. This is a staggering matter that should concern every Armenian, especially in the Diaspora. If he is willing to rewrite history to suit his political interests, what else is he capable of?" the statement reads.

Oskanian added that if, nevertheless, Armenian-Americans decide to attend the meeting, they should clearly understand who is sitting before them.

"This is a man who has led Armenia to ruin, surrendered Armenian lands, abandoned his own people, and lost the trust of the majority of Armenians. Do not let yourselves be deceived. Challenge him. Demand answers. Hold him accountable.

This is not merely a political moment; it is a test of conscience. Opposing Pashinyan means standing for Armenia's dignity, security, and future," Oskanian noted.

During a meeting with the Armenian community in Switzerland, addressing the Armenian Genocide, Pashinyan stated that we need to understand "what happened and why." Later, in a press conference he convened, he backtracked, declaring that the reality of the Armenian Genocide cannot be questioned; that fact is indisputable and undeniable.