Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has underscored the importance of economic growth in terms of the country’s national interest.
Speaking at the 2nd Improving the Business Climate Through Dialogue seminar in the Armenian resort town of Jermuk, PM Pashinyan said that workshop-format meetings with the business community are becoming regular, as such discussions are in demand and allow for the identification not only of individual issues but also of broader-level challenges and achievements.
The Armenian PM announced that during the first Cabinet meeting of 2026, his administration will adopt a new doctrine of economic policy, which will determine the main directions of Armenia’s economy until 2050.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Armenia is experiencing layered changes in social-psychological and political thinking, and the same should happen in the economic sphere.
"In the economy, we often encounter mindsets and approaches that are not aligned with the changes taking place in Armenia. This applies to the government, state bodies, and the business community alike. In this regard, I consider it important that we discuss the need for a shift in economic thinking. Over the past five years, we have achieved an average economic growth of 7 percent. This is a very good indicator and the result of all our efforts. I also want to thank the business community of the Republic of Armenia through their representatives, and express my gratitude to all entrepreneurs and citizens who work, produce results, and pay the legally mandated taxes," Pashinyan said.
According to the Prime Minister, Armenia is entering a new phase in which both the methods of shaping economic policy and the mindset of citizens engaged in economic activities must be at least reconsidered.
"We must align these mindsets not with today, because aligning with today always means being late. Today, we need to speak about aligning them with the dynamics of processes and with short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategies, because both our economy and we ourselves are part of the global world, and our ways of thinking and acting must be consistent with global developments.
I am not saying this to turn today’s specific issues into theoretical and general discussions. On the contrary, I say it from the perspective that within the context of specific problems, we must always find reference points around which we can build long-term visions and strategies. This strategy should not only be the strategy of the government or the political majority, but should become the strategy of Armenia’s economy," Pashinyan said.
"During our political life, much has been said about rallying around the state, about rallying around the public interest. But what is the foundation and core of this rallying? It is economic development, because no sector—cultural, sports, social, or any other—can achieve its goals without economic development. In our country, the perception still exists that cultural institutions should be organizations that look to the government, benefactors, or wealthy individuals with a pleading face. This prevents us from achieving the cultural development we desire. We must change the mindset: culture is a branch of the economy, sports is a branch of the economy, and so on.
Therefore, this recognition that the state interest of Armenia is economic development is the foundation within which we must try to formulate new approaches. And it is around economic development that we must ensure unity—first and foremost with Armenia’s business community, but also with society as a whole, because there is no person in society, regardless of social status, whether employed or unemployed, who does not in some way relate to Armenia’s economic development, and thus to the public interest," Pashinyan concluded.
