Speaking at a briefing in Yerevan on Friday, Pashinyan said that under Armenia’s laws and constitution, a person holding the citizenship of a second or third country cannot be a candidate for either parliament or prime minister, News.Az reports.
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“What you are talking about exists neither de jure nor de facto. I consider it unnecessary to comment on something that does not exist,” he added.
Karapetyan, founder and president of the Tashir Group and one of the most influential diaspora investors in Armenia, has been nominated as a candidate for prime minister by the newly formed Strong Armenia party ahead of the June 2026 parliamentary elections.
Under Armenia’s current constitution, he is legally ineligible to run because he holds foreign citizenship, including Russian. Individuals with dual or third-country citizenship are barred from standing for parliament or the premiership.
The party has said it intends to seek constitutional changes to enable his candidacy if it secures a parliamentary majority.
