“The problem of Artsakh is the most important problem affecting our people, and in this regard, the attitude of our people living in Armenia and around the world is certainly clear that the right of the people of Artsakh to live freely and independently should be protected at all costs. In that sense, a sufficient amount of work has been carried out, and we are full of hope that these efforts will continue. The problem will be resolved successfully due to the efforts of the international community and our people,” His Holiness said in a conversation with journalists on April 20, referring to Nikol Pashinyan’s statement that the former have already recognized Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan.
Then H. H. Garegin II Catholicos of All Armenians added “We do not think that such statements are appropriate and can in any way be beneficial for the settlement of the issue. We should not hurry; on the contrary, we should protect the God-given right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination and to live independently. I cannot imagine that Artsakh can be part of Azerbaijan because it would mean a new genocide against the Armenian people and the depopulation of our people of Artsakh. And we will invest every effort, every work to ensure the right of our people of Artsakh to live freely and independently within the framework of international norms and laws.”
They are talking about peace agendas, the endpoint of which implies the relinquishment of Artsakh, how will the Armenian Apostolic Church, as an essential institution of national protection, react if they still decide to sign a so-called peace treaty, and whether the Patriarch continues to demand the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan, about which reported back in 2020.
In response to these questions, the Catholicos of All Armenians stated: “We have presented our attitude regarding the status of Artsakh and the settlement of the problem; our people will not come to terms with that idea in any way. We need to familiarize ourselves with the articles and clauses of the peace agreement; therefore, we cannot express an opinion and position in this regard. But for us, it is beyond doubt that our people will defend the right of Artsakh people to live freely and independently at the cost of every sacrifice.
As for the resignation, as we mentioned in our statement, we sent a paternal admonition, which is naturally not limited by time. The paternal exhortation is due to the overcoming and solving the situation, the problems that were the reason and occasion for the sounding of that paternal exhortation, and the transmission of the paternal message.
Unfortunately, we see that the situation continues to be dangerous and worrisome, and wrong and unacceptable statements are made regarding the status of Artsakh. The deepening disunity, impatience, and intolerance in our national life, among our people, is also worrying, and in this sense, we have a lot of work to do.”
Gohar HAKOBYAN
