At the invitation and with the participation of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, of spiritual leaders and representatives of the highest bodies of the three Armenian political parties, a special consultative session was convened on Wednesday, 6 September 2023, at the Mother See of Antelias, having as its sole agenda the imperative of supporting the people of Artsakh.
Participating in the session were the Spiritual Head of the Armenian Catholic Church, His Beatitude and Most Reverend Raphael Peter XXI, the President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East, Reverend Paul Haidostian, representatives of the highest bodies of the Armenian political parties — Mr. Hagop Der Khachatourian (ARF), Dr. Avetis Dakesian (ADL) and Dr. Vazken Hamalian (SDP), co-chairs of the Political Assembly of the National Central Board of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia — Messrs. Stepan Der Bedrosian and Krikor Mahserejian, and Mr. Shahan Gandaharian, coordinator of the pan-Armenian conferences of the Catholicosate.
The meeting took place under the gravest conditions for our homeland. Azerbaijan’s aggressive military-political manifestations in recent days underscore the dangers threatening our collective existence, which must be confronted with complete unity.
The spiritual leaders and representatives of the political parties first reported on the work they have carried out in the direction of this urgent agenda.
Following the reports, during the consultations and discussions that took place, the meeting affirmed:
A) All our organisations and structures must continue to stand unconditionally by Artsakh and the just struggle for the historical rights of the Armenians of Artsakh.
B) We call upon all political forces of Artsakh to rally around essential goals and, in a spirit of unity, to prove once again the determination of the Armenians of Artsakh to stand firm, to resist the enemy and to attain their just rights.
C) We call upon the Republic of Armenia to remain committed to the right to self-determination in the Artsakh negotiations.
D) To inform public opinion that Azerbaijan, by blockading Artsakh, has resorted to a policy of genocide, the aim of which is the depopulation of Artsakh of its Armenians.
E) To appeal to all international forums and the international community to unequivocally condemn Azerbaijan’s aspirations and to employ every means to ensure, without delay, the unblocking of Artsakh. The party guaranteeing the free movement of Artsakh with Armenia bears a special responsibility and obligation, which it assumed under the trilateral statement of 9 November 2020.
F) To work with all states involved in the process of resolving the Artsakh conflict, so that they compel Azerbaijan to respect the agreements reached to date and to immediately open the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor.
G) To rush immediate aid to the people of Artsakh, who face a humanitarian catastrophe, by undertaking efforts on a pan-Armenian scale.
The entire Armenian nation today has a primary priority: to unite and carry out coordinated efforts to lift the blockade of Artsakh.
Through the restoration of the trinity of Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora, all our spiritual, national and political structures and organisations must urgently work, taking as their starting point the right to self-determination of Artsakh, toward the goal of ensuring all the rights and security of the people of Artsakh.
The spiritual leaders and representatives of the political parties call, proceeding from the principle of the trinity, for work to be carried out in all countries where organised communities exist, in all necessary directions, with the aim of supporting the Armenians of Artsakh and realising the unblocking of Artsakh.
