Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has apologized to a woman forcibly displaced from Artsakh, following a conversation in the metro on the morning of March 22, during which he said: “Next time, don’t try to claim, as ‘those who fled,’ that I gave away Karabakh.”

It later became known that the woman is Armine Mosiyan, daughter of Meruzhan Mosiyan, a field commander killed in the Artsakh liberation war in 1993.

Pashinyan invited Armine Mosiyan to the government building to offer a public apology live on air. He announced this on his Facebook page.

“I invite Ms. Armine Mosiyan and her son to the Government of the Republic of Armenia to formally apologize to her and her son live.

If coming to the government is not acceptable for her, I am ready to do the same in the Yerevan metro at a time convenient for her, again live.

I am ready to do the same at her place of residence or work,” Pashinyan wrote.

The prime minister also addressed the issue on the day of the incident while summarizing a visit with his team to Yerevan’s Shengavit administrative district, Armenpress reports.

“I also understood from some colleagues’ comments and criticism that not everything I said was as it should have been. I again want to apologize for everything I did not say in the proper form and content. But I was telling new colleagues that to this day I cannot address the events of 2023 without emotion. This is a major shortcoming; I acknowledge it. I cannot overcome that moment. I just recalled that nowhere have I managed to restrain my emotions, but I have now promised that one day I will address this topic comprehensively,” Pashinyan said.

During a live broadcast, addressing the displaced woman from Nagorno-Karabakh, Pashinyan said: “Dear Ms. Mosiyan, I apologize to you and your son for my emotions. I would like that conversation to take place… I know you will refuse and may say a couple of harsh words afterward—I accept that with humility—but if you ever think it is worth putting down the phone and agreeing to speak calmly, without emotions, know that I am at your disposal and I accept that invitation in advance. I acknowledge that I said something incorrectly, did not use the right gestures, tone, or facial expressions, and at some point did not treat the substance properly. But again, this topic remains one of the most emotional for me, and I apologize to everyone, while acknowledging that a calm discussion on this matter should take place.”

On the morning of March 22, in the metro, Prime Minister Pashinyan attempted to gift a badge shaped like the map of Armenia to a woman traveling with her young son, but she refused, saying: “We have a different map.”

The prime minister told the woman that her son would live within the territory defined by that map. The woman responded: “Won’t you let us live in our Artsakh? You already haven’t. You cannot deprive us of the hope of living in our Artsakh,” adding that he should not speak to her in a raised voice.

Pashinyan replied: “We did everything so that you could live in Karabakh. And in 2023, it was you who accused me of closing the borders so that people from Karabakh would not come to Armenia. You said I deliberately closed the border so that the people of Karabakh would not come to Armenia. Now you have come here and say, ‘Oh, but we wanted to return.’ None of you should speak dismissively about this map; next time, don’t try, as ‘those who fled,’ to say that I gave away Karabakh.”

The prime minister’s remarks have sparked widespread reaction on social media.