Pashinyan elected Prime Minister of Armenia

The Armenian Parliament elected Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the street protests and the head of the opposition Yelk faction, as the prime minister of the republic.

59 deputies voted for his candidacy, 42 voted against, Interfax reports . Pashinyan needed at least 53 votes to be elected. He was chosen during a special session of the Armenian Parliament.

Nikol Pashinyan, speaking in parliament, stated that he was ready to negotiate with Baku on the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“I am ready for negotiations with the leader of Azerbaijan within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. But the negotiations cannot be effective and full-fledged without the participation of the party to the conflict - Karabakh," Pashinyan said.

According to the Prime Minister, his first step in his new position could be a trip to Karabakh. Pashinyan may visit the region on May 9.

During the last vote for the prime minister, the National Assembly of Armenia did not support the candidacy of the leader of the opposition. It was not possible to get the required number of votes because of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia. However, later the head of the faction, Vahram Baghdasaryan, stated that the party had made a political decision and, in order to "settle the situation in the country," 11 deputies of the party would vote for Pashinyan.