At the initiative and invitation of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, a consultation on the agenda of the Artsakh war took place on Thursday afternoon, 15 October 2020, at the Catholicosate in Antelias, with the participation of representatives of ecclesiastical, national, party and union organizations active throughout the diaspora.
His Holiness reported on the situation created by the Artsakh war, the battles being waged for the defense of the Armenian borders, and the political-diplomatic efforts being carried out alongside them. Since the first day of the outbreak of the war, His Holiness has been in constant communication with state and ecclesiastical figures to follow the events and, accordingly, to ensure the condemnation of the Turkish-Azerbaijani attack, particularly by the various organizations of the international family.
Chairman of the ADL Regional Board of Lebanon, Dr. Avedis Dakesian
The Catholicos’s report was followed by a discussion, during which the following points were emphasized.
A) The war was unleashed by Azerbaijan, with Turkey’s instigation and direct support and participation. The enemy is striking not only military targets, but also villages, cities, churches, schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure.
B) The Armenian army, with the highest devotion and boundless sacrifice, continues to resist the enemy’s attack on Artsakh. At the cost of enormous sacrifices, our battle-ready army, reservists and volunteers continue to keep the citadel of the homeland impregnable.
The Armenian army is fighting not only against Azerbaijan, but also against Turkey and the terrorist forces that reached Azerbaijan through Turkey, in order to prevent the ethnic cleansing perpetrated against the Armenian people and the pan-Turanian program that constitutes a threat to the entire region. It is fighting to impose a ceasefire and peace on the enemy.
C) In the face of this reality, the international recognition of Artsakh becomes an urgent imperative. All legal-political reasons have converged for the international recognition of Artsakh as an independent republic.
The first item of the pan-Armenian agenda must be formulated as the international recognition of Artsakh, for which all our diaspora structures without exception — ecclesiastical dioceses, parties, unions and civic organizations — working in coordination with the diplomatic staffs of our two states, must strive to accomplish this most important task.
A new phase opens in our pan-Armenian claims work. All of us are moving toward the international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh.
