YEREVAN — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on August 20 that Ar- menia will continue pursuing its policy of economic diversification regardless of developments in the Russian mar- ket, while also defending the difficult decisions his government has made re- garding Karabakh. Speaking to reporters following a government meeting, Pashinyan said that even if the Russian market were fully reopened to Armenian goods, Ye- revan would continue seeking alterna- tive export markets and expanding its economic ties. “This process will ultimately lead to diversification. Even if the Russian market were to reopen 100 percent an hour from now, we would still make additional efforts to ensure that diver- sification takes place,” Pashinyan said. The prime minister said Armenia is prepared to ensure full transparency and conduct joint inspections with rel- evant Russian authorities should Mos- cow have concerns about Armenian products. According to Pashinyan, Yere- van’s position is based on openness and readiness for dialogue, including joint inspections of any issues that may raise concerns. He emphasized that, in the long term, diversification is the only way to prevent Armenia from becoming vulnerable to similar disruptions in the future. Pashinyan stressed that efforts to resolve current problems involving ac- cess to the Russian market and Arme- nia’s broader economic diversification strategy are separate processes. The possible reopening of markets, he said, would not result in a reconsideration or suspension of the government’s diver- sification policy. The government reported that Ar- menian exports to European Union countries have increased sharply. In January-June 2026, exports to the EU exceeded $516 million, up more than 80 percent from approximately $287 million during the same period in 2025. Compared with the first half of 2017, when exports totaled about $301 million, the increase was more than 71 percent. During the same briefing, Pashin- yan also addressed his government’s policies regarding Karabakh, saying that the difficult decisions he made had helped Armenia escape what he described as an existential “trap.” “I believe that through the very dif- ficult and painful decisions I made re- garding the Karabakh issue, I brought Armenia out of a trap,” Pashinyan said. “The people of Armenia share that view; otherwise, I would not be standing here today.” He added that he was proud of those decisions, while stressing that his government had devoted signifi- cant resources to Karabakh. “We spared nothing for Karabakh,” he said, adding that during his govern- ment’s tenure approximately $1 bil- lion in additional funding had been provided to the region. He noted that pensions in Armenia had at times been lower than those paid in Karabakh and said that additional forms of assistance had also been provided, some of which were not publicly discussed. Pashinyan said he had also ad- dressed the issue during the campaign ahead of Armenia’s June 7 parliamen- tary elections, acknowledging that his remarks had sometimes been emotion- al but maintaining that they were ac- curate in substance. The prime minister argued that Ar- menian voters had twice had the op- portunity to express their position on his government’s approach to Kara- bakh through elections. “The issue has gone through elections twice. The people of Ar- menia have expressed their posi- tion on this matter twice through elections and for five years through their everyday lives,” he said. Referring to his own rise to power through the 2018 Velvet Revolution, Pashinyan added that Armenians always retain the ability to remove a government through popular action if they fundamentally reject its policies. “When I said that we were ending the Karabakh movement, I told the people: I have made this decision and, as the prime minis- ter elected by you, I am going to implement it. If you believe this is the wrong path, you can carry out a revolution and remove me from power,” Pashinyan said.