Mirzoyan vows fair elections, warns of foreign interference

PanARMENIAN.Net - During his address at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized that Armenia has successfully held two snap parliamentary elections, both recognized domestically and internationally as free and fair. He said these elections affirmed that the people's will must be accurately reflected in the ballot boxes.

“This June, Armenia will hold parliamentary elections. For us, this is a crucial milestone in reinforcing the irreversibility of our democracy. This is the moment when the Armenian people will show that their will is the only source of power in our country,” Mirzoyan said, as reported by 1lurer.am .

He warned that enemies of freedom remain active: “We must acknowledge that they can be highly creative. They’re willing to invest millions of dollars in propaganda and illicit interference strategies and command nearly unlimited media resources. Their goal is to derail our sovereign choice for peace and democracy and drag us back into authoritarianism, endless conflict with neighbors, and weakened sovereignty. They seek to use democratic tools to destroy democracy itself. Confronting this threat is now part of our daily mission.”

Mirzoyan highlighted a critical dilemma in this context: the need to protect free speech while simultaneously resisting harmful forces exploiting it. He noted that some actors aim to undermine public trust in both democratic systems and society as a whole — a danger that, he said, will intensify during the upcoming election period.

“But I’m here to say that they will not succeed. Our society has developed immunity to lies,” Mirzoyan declared, stressing that the defense of democracy will rely on democratic tools.

“We will act with both vigilance and resolve, in cooperation with our partners, including the Council of Europe and PACE. We will ensure these elections stand as proof of democratic resilience,” he added.

Parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled for June 2026.