45-year-old former journalist has retained significant public backing despite the defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh, with thousands rallying in his support to counter the opposition-led pressure for his resignation.

President Sarkissian sought to play mediator by offering to host a meeting between Pashinyan and his political foes, but he had to call it off after the opposition said it would only accept a meeting to discuss the prime minister’s resignation.

More than 6,000 people were killed in the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies within Azerbaijan but was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994.

The Russia-brokered peace deal let Azerbaijan reclaim control over large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.

Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.