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The protest movement aimed at ousting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government will continue in Armenia with new momentum, says its leader, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, the cleric stressed the need for a change of tactics before the resumption of street protests in Yerevan and beyond.

Galstanyan denounced the authorities for a violent crackdown on protesters outside the Armenian parliament on June 12, adding he and his supporters had no plans to back down despite facing pressure and intimidation.

"Armenia’s current government comprises a blood-thirsty small group of people who are ready to take any step to maintain their grip on power, as best evidenced by the June 12 events," he stated.

"The struggle continues with greater momentum and reshuffling, which you will witness in the near future," the cleric added.

The archbishop again hit out at Pashinyan’s government for the illegal surrender of border villages in Tavush Province to Azerbaijan as part of a border delimitation deal, which sparked the protest movement.

“In fact, this is neither delimitation nor demarcation, but surrender of our lands under coercion and pressure,” the leader stated. “The illegal border delimitation that started in Tavush is now spreading throughout Armenia. Thus, the processes in Tavush were not a local problem.”