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Senior opposition MP Hayk Mamijanyan on Friday denounced the Armenian leadership for the lack of red lines in negotiations with Azerbaijan.

At a press briefing on Friday, the Pativ Unem faction head claimed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seeks to conclude the so-called “peace agreement” with Azerbaijan before the 2026 parliamentary elections to earn more votes for his party.

“Pashinyan is running after [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev to get his signature under the treaty just like fans chase celebrities for autographs,” he MP said.

“It has absolutely nothing to do with Armenia's security system, the return of Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh or their right to self-determination. Pashinyan just needs a “piece of paper” reading “peace”, but it will have absolutely nothing to do with peace. It will only have Aliyev's autograph on it so that Pashinyan can campaign for the elections,” Mamijanyan explained.

He also criticized the Armenian government’s failure to respond to Aliyev’s latest demand for Armenia to begin dialogue with so-called “Western Azerbaijanis” in order to ensure their “right to return to their ancestral lands”, referring to modern-day Armenia.

“The Pashinyan government’s tactics of playing dead will not work. This is not the way to negotiate with Azerbaijan, or with any other country. You cannot negotiate by trying not to say or do anything to avoid angering Baku, you have to clearly set your red lines,” the MP added.