Pashinyan: The conflict has ended, but not in the psychological dimension

In political terms, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is over, but in the socio-psychological dimension it still continues.

As BAKU.WS reports with reference to Sputnik Armenia, this was stated by the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, speaking at the annual international forum "Orbeli: Building Peace and Multilateral Cooperation".

According to Pashinyan, peace has already been established between the two countries, but the main difficulty today lies not in diplomacy, but in understanding the new reality.

"When I talk about peace, it seems strange and even alien to many. Peace is an unfamiliar concept and a new environment for Armenia and Azerbaijan," noted the Prime Minister.

He emphasized that over the decades of conflict, both sides have become accustomed to perceiving each other exclusively through the prism of confrontation. After the collapse of the USSR, it was the conflict that became the foundation on which the political systems, public sentiments, and national identity of the two countries were formed.

"Since gaining independence, our societies have not known what peace is. The conflict defined our thinking, politics, and relations between peoples," said Pashinyan.

According to him, the end of the conflict in the political sense does not mean an instantaneous change in public consciousness. Overcoming years of enmity requires time, open dialogue, and new approaches to the perception of neighborhood.

"Socio-psychological perception cannot be changed or 'switched off' by a single decision," he emphasized.