The President of the Republic of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan addressed the Armenian people in a video message. He spoke about the continuation of the large-scale military operations launched against Artsakh on 27 September by Azerbaijan, Turkey and international terrorism, noting that the Defense Army had continued to resist heroically during that period and to deliver powerful counterblows to the enemy, inflicting losses on it in manpower and military equipment. Harutyunyan spoke about our compatriots who arrived from Mother Armenia and the Diaspora, who distinguished themselves in the best possible way during the battles, our comrades who made a great contribution to the cause of defending the homeland and have rich wartime experience, as well as the heroic young conscripts.
“We also see the active efforts of the Russian Federation and the international community aimed at halting the military operations and we highly appreciate that mission. Recently a meeting took place in Moscow in a trilateral format at the initiative of the President of the Russian Federation, and a statement is to be made regarding at least a humanitarian ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations afterwards. But what happened? On the contrary, the adversary, taking advantage of the opportunity, from the very day after that statement began more intense combat operations along almost the entire length of the front, especially in the southern direction, and the adversary has managed to penetrate somewhere, to have advantages somewhere, and to move the front day by day into deeper territory. We understand that to force a ceasefire we have only one path: to impose a ceasefire,” noted Arayik Harutyunyan.
“We are in favour of beginning, without preconditions, our responsibility with regard to the humanitarian mission we have undertaken, and afterwards beginning negotiations towards resolving [the issue] by peaceful means. Although it is already impossible, it is not too late. The adversary has chosen a different path: it has chosen not the path of resolving the Karabakh issue, but of exterminating first of all the Armenians of Artsakh, and then, in case of success, also Armenia,” said the President.
He noted that we see that pattern, we have had heavier times as well, in 92-94, but we managed to win because we believed in victory, he said and made a call.
“Today too we believe that we shall win. We need to unite and participate in the military operations. I expect the active participation of my brothers, the Karabakh Armenians living in the Diaspora, the brothers living in Armenia. This is the hour of destiny today, of keeping or not keeping the homeland, of living with honour instead of choosing to live without honour. For that I call not only for material participation, which is very important — thank you all — but also physical participation; we feel the need for it. We shall win,” Arayik Harutyunyan made his call.
