Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told thousands of rallying supporters on Monday that he was ready to hold early elections to bring the country out of a political crisis.

"If the parliamentary opposition agrees to early elections, we will agree to early elections," Pashinyan told the flag-waving crowd.

"Let's go to the polls and see whose resignation the people are demanding," said Pashinyan, who swept to power after spearheading peaceful protests in 2018.

He admitted to making mistakes and asked for forgiveness, but denounced those he said were trying to undermine the country's democracy.

Facing fire for his handling of last year's disastrous war with Azerbaijan, Pashinyan filled Yerevan's central Republic Square with more than 20,000 supporters, as government opponents demonstrated outside parliament to demand his resignation.

(With input from agencies)