Former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian stated on his Facebook page that the true cost of establishing diplomatic relations between Armenia and Pakistan is “thousands of Armenian lives, the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the forced displacement of 150,000 people.”
Pakistan had refused to recognize Armenia for three decades due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“And so, finally, Armenia and Pakistan signed a protocol to establish diplomatic relations — a step being presented as an ‘achievement.’ Pakistan had refused to recognize Armenia for 30 years because of Nagorno-Karabakh. And now, apparently, we can have ‘friendly relations.’ What a wonderful diplomatic victory.
One can’t help but wonder: if the Armenian people were given a choice between a de facto independent Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh or diplomatic relations with Islamabad, which would they choose?
Behind those smiling photographs lies the real price of this ‘success’: thousands of Armenian lives, the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the forced displacement of 150,000 people from their ancestral land. But no matter — at least we signed the protocol. This will certainly look great in the Foreign Ministry’s year-end report,” the post reads.
On August 31, Armenia and Pakistan announced the establishment of diplomatic relations.
In May 2025, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif stated in Lachin that “Azerbaijan was once attacked by Armenia,” and claimed that “Turkey and Pakistan stood with Azerbaijan like mountains.”
