The U.S. State Department has warned Armenia\u2019s armed forces to stay out of politics but stopped short of calling their demands for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian\u2019s resignation a coup attempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The department spokesman, Ned Price, said late on Thursday that the United States is \u201cvery closely\u201d monitoring political developments in Armenia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe urge all parties to exercise restraint and to avoid any escalatory or violent actions,\u201d Price told a daily news briefing in Washington. \u201cWe remind all parties of the bedrock democratic principle that states\u2019 armed forces should not intervene in domestic politics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe United States has been a steadfast supporter of the development of democratic processes and institutions in Armenia. We continue to support Armenia\u2019s democracy and its sovereignty, and we urge its leaders to resolve their differences peacefully while respecting the rule of law, Armenia\u2019s democracy, and its institutions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan issued a similar statement earlier on Thursday amid mounting political tensions in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an unprecedented statement, the Armenian military\u2019s top brass demanded the resignation of Pashinian and his government, accusing them of putting Armenia \u201con the brink of destruction\u201d after the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Pashinian rejected the demand as an attempt to stage a military coup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Price made clear that the military\u2019s actions have so far not met Washington\u2019s definition of a coup d\u2019etat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs you know, the Department of State has a process to determine whether a coup has transpired \u2026 Of course, there has been no such determination in this case,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unlike Pashinian, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian did not describe the military\u2019s demands as a coup attempt. Also, Sarkissian was in no rush to sack the chief of the army\u2019s General Staff, Onik Gasparian, and planned on Friday to meet the latter as part of his efforts to de-escalate the political situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n