The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, has sent a message to the Armenian people. According to information conveyed by the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, the message states:
“Dear compatriots,
Proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia,
Proud citizens of the Republic of Artsakh,
Proud Armenians of the Diaspora,
Sisters and brothers,
Since early this morning, the Republic of Artsakh has been subjected to an attack by Azerbaijani armed forces.
The peaceful population of Artsakh, the capital city of Stepanakert, and the civilian infrastructure of the Republic of Artsakh are being bombarded. At this moment, there are already casualties and wounded, including among the peaceful population.
Using heavy weaponry, artillery and infantry, the enemy is assaulting the positions of the Defense Army on all fronts. At this moment, the Defense Army is fighting stubborn battles and is honouring its mission to defend Artsakh, taking actions dictated by the situation.
Dear people,
The tyrannical regime of Ilham Aliyev has once again resorted to military operations. This is a war declared against the Armenian people. This is a war against our independence, freedom and dignity.
The Armenian people are ready for this war. For they have always been soberly aware that the Armenophobia, enmity and hatred with which the Azerbaijani dictatorship has been nourishing its people for decades could lead to no other outcome than war. The Azerbaijani dictatorship has become a hostage of its own anti-Armenian policy and today is trying to justify its own propagandistic promises about resolving the Karabakh conflict by military means.
The Armenian people are ready to deliver a worthy counterblow to the enemy. The Republic of Armenia is the guarantor of the security and independence of the Republic of Artsakh. And the Republic of Armenia, with the full potential of its population and state system, today stands behind Artsakh. We shall exert every possible and impossible effort to keep the borders of our homeland impregnable, to defend our freedom and independence. As a party that signed the 1994 ceasefire agreement, the Republic of Armenia shall take the necessary actions on political, diplomatic and military platforms to ensure the physical security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and to impose peace on the adversary.
At this moment, the adversary is already suffering significant losses in manpower and military equipment. Azerbaijan must be fully aware that the combat capability of our army today is higher than ever. The enemy must understand that behind Artsakh today stands the entire Armenian nation.
We are united as always. We are united, as we have been at all the decisive moments of our history, when the foe threatened our existence, our identity and our values. The dictatorial authorities of Azerbaijan must understand that it is impossible to bring the Armenian people to their knees. Throughout our millennial history we have had many decisive moments and overcome numerous difficulties. Our cause is just, and this criminal encroachment too shall receive a worthy counterblow.
We are well aware that the Azerbaijani dictatorship may also launch military operations along the borders of the Republic of Armenia and resort to various provocations in order to completely destabilise the situation in the region. This is why, by decision of the government, martial law and general mobilisation have been declared in the Republic of Armenia.
I draw the attention of the co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group and the entire international community to the seriousness of the situation. The outbreak of a large-scale war in the South Caucasus, on the threshold of which we now stand, could have the most unpredictable consequences. It could go beyond the borders of the region and acquire a much wider scope, threatening international security and stability.
I call on the international community to exert all levers of influence to keep Turkey away from all possible interventions, which would definitively destabilise the situation in the region. Turkey’s aggressive behaviour, which had a highly dangerous manifestation especially during the July events and continues today, gives serious cause for concern. The maintenance of such a dangerous stance by Turkey is fraught with the most destructive consequences for the South Caucasus and adjacent regions. The international community must, through united efforts, prevent the dangerous development of events and keep the region free from all attempts to destabilise it.
Dear compatriots,
Today we stand before a serious danger. The situation is further complicated by the conditions of the pandemic. Hence the gravity of the moment demands the vigilance of us all. Our victory depends on the individual effort and conduct of each of us and on our united, collective effort.
I call on everyone to display the highest degree of discipline and high civic consciousness. And we shall win.
And so —
Long live Freedom,
Long live the Republic of Armenia,
Long live the Republic of Artsakh,
Long live we and our children, that we may live in a Free and Happy Armenia, in a Free and Happy Artsakh:
Glory to the Armenian army:
Eternal glory to the Armenian soldier.”
