The pro-government commentator, Ahmed Shairoglu, made the claim on the X social media platform earlier in the day. He did not disclose its source.
“The expert expressed his subjective perception which has nothing to do with Prime Minister Pashinian's work agenda,” Pashinian’s press secretary, Nazeli Baghdasarian, told the Armenpress news agency. “Such a visit is not planned in Prime Minister Pashinian's work agenda.”
Armenia dropped its objections to Azerbaijan’s bid to host the United Nations summit last December as part of deal that led to the release of 32 Armenian soldiers and civilians held in Azerbaijani captivity.
An aide to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev suggested late last month that the two South Caucasus nations sign a peace treaty during the global forum. Pashinian commented evasively on the idea. Earlier in May, a pro-government member of Azerbaijan’s parliament said that Pashinian should be officially invited to Baku.
The Armenian premier is increasingly accused by his political opponents and other critics of making far-reaching concessions to Azerbaijan as well as Turkey for the sake of clinging to power. They have strongly condemned his recent decision to hand over several border areas to Azerbaijan without securing any Azerbaijani territorial concessions in return.
Pashinian has said that the land transfer is necessary for preventing Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia. His decision sparked angry protests led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian and welcomed by the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Galstanian shifted the continuing protests to Yerevan on May 9 to demand Pashinian’s resignation. Azerbaijani lawmakers attacked the outspoken archbishop during a May 24 session of the rubber-stamp legislature fully controlled by Aliyev.