Category: 2020

Stepanakert: The encouragement and approval by the authorities and society of Azerbaijan of Safarov`s heinous crime is an alarming sign …

Edgar Tavakalian
Arminfo, Armenia

ArmInfo.Artsakh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement regarding the ECHR verdict in the case of Makuchyan and Minasyan v. Azerbaijan and Hungary.

As the press service of NKR MFA reports, the statement, in  particular, states:

It is noteworthy that during the proceedings, the Court noted that  the actions of Azerbaijan – the pardon of Ramil Safarov immediately  after his arrival in Azerbaijan, the payment of salaries during his  stay in the Hungarian prison, the provision of an apartment and the  career advancement – indicate that Azerbaijan recognizes and accepts  the crimes by Ramil Safarov as its own. The court also stressed that  each of these measures individually and collectively had testified  that various state structures and top officials had approved and  encouraged Ramil Safarov’s actions and that the approval and  encouragement were strongly supported by the Azerbaijani society as a  whole.

As we have repeatedly stated, pardon, heroization and popular  glorification of a murderer as a role model to follow are an integral  part of the state policy of the Azerbaijani authorities conducted for  years on inciting Armenophobia in the country and encouraging hate  crimes against Armenians. We consider it necessary to recall once  again that the manifestations of racism and xenophobia against  Armenians in Azerbaijan have been repeatedly mentioned in the  documents of a number of international organizations, in particular,  the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the  European Commission against Racism, and Intolerance and the Council  of Europe Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the  Protection of National Minorities.

The fact that not only the Azerbaijani authorities, but also the  majority of the Azerbaijani society approve and encourage the heinous  crime committed by Ramil Safarov is an alarming signal of serious  transformation of the public consciousness in the country.

The ECHR ruling on the murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan by  Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov can and should become a basis for  taking practical steps, supported by the international community, to  eradicate the negative phenomena caused by the multi-year state  policy and practice of the Azerbaijani authorities on injecting the  “hatred virus” against Armenians and everything Armenian into the  public consciousness>.

It should be noted that on May 26 the ECHR issued a ruling on the  statement of the successors of the killed Armenian officer Gurgen  Margaryan in relation to Azerbaijan and Hungary on the extradition  and release of the murderer Ramil Safarov.  According to the decision  of the ECHR, published on the court’s website, Azerbaijan violated  the Convention by releasing officer Safarov. The report of the Court  also notes that the case concerns not only the release of the  extradited prisoner, but also his heroization. Meanwhile, in the  private actions of Safarov there were egregious manifestations of  violence that were not characteristic of a military officer.   According to the court, Azerbaijan violated its obligations to ensure  a proper decision of the Hungarian court. In conclusion, the ECHR  decided that Azerbaijan must pay to the applicants (Margaryan’s  successors) a compensation and legal costs amounting to 15,143.33  pounds. At the same time, the ECHR did not see any violations by  Hungary, which extradited Safarov to Azerbaijan. The decision noted  that in Budapest they could not know that Safarov would be released  immediately upon arrival at home.  To note, official Baku has already  responded to this verdict of the ECHR. The spokeswoman for the  Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated that the court did not actually  satisfy the main claim of Armenia.  “So, the court’s decision does  not require the annulment of the decree on pardon, which is the main  object of the proceedings, or the re-examination of the case against  the relevant person. On the other hand, the claim for material  violation of the right to reside was also rejected,” the  representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan   concluded. 

Obtained records ‘show Azerbaijan foreign minister’s son bought lavish Trump Place apartments in Manhattan’

Ani Kharatian 
Obtained records ‘show Azerbaijan foreign minister’s son bought lavish
Trump Place apartments in Manhattan’
By bne IntelIiNews 
New York Tax Department records obtained by the Washington
correspondent of Azerbaijani news service TURAN information agency
reportedly show that in the summer of 2015, Emin Mammadyarov, eldest
son of Azerbaijan’s foreign minister, Elmar Mammadyarov, purchased two
apartments in Manhattan’s formerly named Trump Place buildings, paying
slightly over $4.2mn in total in all-cash deals.
TURAN reported on May 26: “Following a recent social media discussion
on Mammadyarov family's wealth and their Manhattan apartments, which
was first broke by journalist Javansir Hasanli, TURAN's U.S.
correspondent has reached out to New York authorities for more details
regarding the deeds of the 31-year-old son of the minister.
“According to official records, during the months of June-July [in
2015] Emin Mammadyarov purchased two apartment units (PH2K and PH3K)
at Manhattan's former Trump Place building located at 120 Riverside
Blvd.”
Built in 2004 by the Trump Organization, the 21-storey building has en
suite amenities including an indoor pool, fitness centre, sauna and
jacuzzi and a private landscaped roof deck which overlooks the Hudson
River.
Last year, the name “Trump Place” came down from the building’s facade
after the condominium owners voted to have the name removed, citing
Donald Trump's offensive behaviour in the 2016 US presidential
election campaign.
TURAN also reported: “It is not clear how young Mammadyarov could pay
huge sums for luxury units in Manhattan. TURAN's correspondent has
tried to reach out to him for comment via phone and social media but
never heard back.”
Elmar Mammadyarov served at the Azerbaijani mission at the UN in New
York in the early 1990s. He has been Azerbaijan’s top diplomat since
2004.

Turkish press: Turkish diplomat’s terrorist killer denied parole in US

Emil Lazarian
 ISTANBUL POLITICS 
MAY 27, 2020 9:59 AM GMT+3

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has denied the parole request of Hampig Sassounian, an Armenian who assassinated a Turkish diplomat in Los Angeles in 1982.

The announcement came Monday with Newsom reversing the Board of Parole Hearings’ decision which found Sassounian suitable for parole.

“After reviewing and considering the evidence in the record, I believe that Mr. Sassounian must do additional work before he can be safely released. Accordingly, I find that he still poses an unreasonable danger to society if released and I reverse the Board’s decision to parole Mr. Sassounian,” the governor concluded.

On Jan. 28, 1982, Kemal Arıkan was shot to death 14 times by Sassounian and his accomplice, Krikor Saliba. Saliba escaped justice, but Sassounian was arrested and in 1984 was sentenced to life in prison.

He was a member of the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide (JCAG), an Armenian terrorist group that targeted Turkish diplomats in the 1970s and 1980s in revenge for what they call the genocide of Armenians during the last years of the Ottoman Empire.

The terrorist was sentenced to life following the attack and is currently incarcerated in San Quentin Prison in California. He has had a right for parole since 2007 as he served 25 years under parole laws of the state of California. The Turkish Foreign Ministry has repeatedly pleaded with U.S. authorities to prevent his parole since then. The parole request was finally accepted in 2016, but Turkey appealed the ruling. California Gov. Jerry Brown canceled the parole ruling in May 2017. Sassounian applied for parole again, but the parole board rejected it again in June 2018, citing that he still posed “an unreasonable danger to society if released.”

The Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) and the American Turkish Association of Southern California (ATASC) on Tuesday welcomed the governor’s decision to reject Sassounian’s parole.

The TASC and ATASC thanked Newsom and said they are leading a national and international coalition to make sure Sassounian serves his life sentence.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday also welcomed the decision saying: “This murder that terrorist Sassounian committed, with no signs of regret during his conviction, will never be forgotten as a crime that reveals the terrible dimensions of a sickly and distorted ideology. This welcomed decision shows once again that terrorism, hate speech and extremism will not go unpunished in the world. On this occasion, we once again commemorate Kemal Arıkan, our martyred diplomat and all our martyrs of terror with respect and mercy.”

Between 1973 and 1993, a total of 33 Turkish diplomats, employees and families based at Turkish diplomatic missions abroad were murdered by Armenian terrorist groups, with the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) being the most infamous one.

The JCAG was affiliated with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, a political party dating back to the early 20th century that still operates in Armenia. These militant groups, cooperating with each other and other terrorist groups despite differing in ideology, were mainly based in civil war-torn Lebanon, from where Sassounian’s family emigrated to the U.S.

Armenian terrorist groups also targeted civilians in various attacks, including the 1982 Ankara Esenboğa Airport attack, which killed nine, and the 1983 Paris Orly Airport attack, which killed eight.

The vast majority of the attacks were conducted by the ASALA and JCAG terror organizations.

The assassinations took place in the U.S., Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Lebanon, Greece, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, Portugal, Iran and the U.K.

Turkish press: Attacker tears down cross at Armenian church in Istanbul – Turkey News

Antranik Varosian
  • 13:26:00

An unidentified attacker has dismantled a cross outside an Armenian church in Istanbul’s historical Kuzguncuk neighborhood.

Security footage delivered to the police showed the attack occurred on May 23 in the Üsküdar district, according to a statement made by the Surp Krikor Lusaroviç Armenian Church.

The management said they have lodged a criminal complaint about the incident and have placed the cross back in its place.

Garo Paylan, a Turkish-Armenian lawmaker for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), condemned the incident, calling it a hate crime.

“Attacks continue on our churches. The cross of our Surp Krikor Lusaroviç Armenian Church was removed and thrown away. Hate speech made by the ruling power normalizes hate crimes,” he said in a tweet.

On May 9, another Armenian church in Istanbul’s Bakırköy district, once home to Istanbul’s now dwindling Armenian community, was also attacked. The man who attempted to set the church’s gate on fire was detained.

Turkish press: Dovecotes in ‘Cradle of Civilization’ enchants pigeon enthusiasts

Hambik Zargarian
 KARS EVENTS 
MAY 28, 2020 2:46 PM GMT+3
The Ani Archaeological Site was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. (Photo by Uğur Yıldırım)


Some 659 dovecotes for pigeons, built centuries ago inside a very steep rock face on a hill at the Ani Ruins located near the middle of two deep bottlenecks of the Arpaçay River on the Turkish-Armenian border, have raised a lot of interest among people.

Ani was ruled by the Urartus, Scythians, Persians, Macedonians, Seleucids, Arsakids, Sasanians and Gamsaragans before it was seized by Muslim armies in 643. It was then controlled by the Bagrationis from 884 to 1045 and by the Byzantine Empire from 1045 to 1064.

Known in history as the “40-Ported City,” “The City with 100,000 Inhabitants” and “The Cradle of Civilization” and named in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016, Ani was conquered by Sultan Alparslan on Aug. 16, 1064.

A total of 659 dovecotes were carved inside a very steep rock face on a hill at Ani Ruins. (AA Photo)

After the Seljuk/Shaddadids rule, both the Georgians and then the Mongols took over Ani. Following 80 years of uninterrupted control under the Ilkhanates, Ani came under the rule of the Khanate of Golden Horde, the Jalairids, the Karakoyuns, the Timurid Empire, the Akkoyuns, the Ottomans and the Russian Tsardom. Ani finally became part of the territory of the Republic of Turkey in 1920.

While various civilizations lived in the city, built on an area of 85 hectares, Christians and Muslims lived side by side and its people spoke at least six languages including Armenian, Greek, Turkish, Arabic, Georgian and Persian from 970 to 1320.

Ani was the heart of multi-dimensional trade between the East and the West in medieval times and its commercial mobility extended to China, India, Russia, Europe and Africa. Egyptian cotton and Chinese silk were sold in the city’s markets.

Approximately 25 buildings, including mosques, cathedrals, palaces, churches, monasteries, fire temples, baths, walls, bridges and a closed passage, some parts of which have been destroyed, have managed to survive.

Nearly 1,500 underground structures in 32 regions of five valleys, where a significant portion of the Ani population lived, shed light on the history of the city.

One of the most admirable is the dovecotes carved into a rock face formed by tuff, which is a mostly light-colored, slightly porous type of sedimentary stone composed of ash, sand and lava particles spewed by volcanoes on a hill on the opposite bank of the Bostanlar Creek, located in the west part of Ani. The subterranean structure embodies fine craftsmanship and has the appearance of a honeycomb.

Sezai Yazıcı, a researcher and author who has written four books on Ani, and a team of journalists from Anadolu Agency (AA) reached the dovecotes, which is 150 to 170 meters away from the road, after a challenging climb with the help of a ladder and rope. The structure is located in the rocks of a steep hill. The dovecotes are 2.5 kilometers from the entrance gate of Ani and 1,100 meters above the point where the Alaca Stream meets the Arpaçay River.

Sezai Yazıcı told AA that he carried out the first systematic study on Ani’s underground structures in Turkey.

Indicating that he climbed to the dovecotes in Ani for the first time in 2014, Yazıcı said: “I have been working on this area since 2010. I presented the first systematic study on the dovecotes and Ani caves in Turkey at a symposium at Kafkas University.”

Sezai Yazıcı poses in front of the dovecotes. (AA Photo)

Pigeonholes Carved into Tuff

Yazıcı has been studying the dovecotes around Bostanlar Creek for years. “Although it is known that there are 1,013 caves in five different valleys and 32 regions surrounding Ani, we have determined the presence of around 1,500 caves as a result of our new studies. The dovecotes in Ani are one of the most sophisticated areas. It is full of pigeonholes, 659 from ceiling to floor.”

Providing information about the structure of the dovecotes in pigeon nest measurements, Yazıcı noted: “Pigeonholes in the lower rows of the dovecotes are 30, 28 or 24 centimeters wide and 25, 24 or 11 centimeters deep, while their height is 11 centimeters. The east-west front of this area is 4 meters, the south-north front is 6.25 meters in size.”

“It is estimated that pigeons here were used in the postal service. There are two holes in the upper dome. We can tell that light comes from one of the holes to the southeast and pigeons come in and out from the other. This can also be considered a very sophisticated structure built to obtain quality fertilizer.”

He pointed out that pigeon breeding was carried out for different purposes in the past. “It is hard to imagine a classic postal service consisting of pigeons. We also have seen that the fertilizers obtained from the dovecotes in Bostanlar Creek have proven very useful in vegetable and fruit production here,” he added.




Armenpress: Embassy of India welcomes Yerevan’s decision on installing Gandhi statue

Hovhannisian John

Embassy of India welcomes Yerevan’s decision on installing Gandhi statue

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 17:21,

YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. The Embassy of India in Armenia has welcomed the Yerevan City Council’s decision to install the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the city.

“It is with great joy that the Embassy of India, Yerevan greets the recent decision of the Yerevan Council of Elders to install the statue of Mahatma Gandhi being gifted by India to the city. This will be a befitting tribute to a great world leader on the occasion of the worldwide 150th anniversary celebration of Gandhiji. This will also be a symbol of the age-old historical and friendly relations between India and Armenia. It is worthwhile to mention that relations between India and Armenia have centuries old roots which go as early as 149 BC. In the medieval India, there was a vibrant and prosperous Armenian community in India. The first Armenian Church was built in 1562 in India and till date we proudly preserve the rich heritage culture and architecture of Armenia in the cities of Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Lucknow and Surat. Not only Churches and other monuments, but also Armenian cemeteries are preserved in the Indian land. These symbol of friendship remained intact during troubled times of World War I. During modern times, our relations have strengthened and deepened. India was one of the early countries which recognized the independent Armenia. Our bilateral relations in today’s world are excellent which goes beyond our cultural links and covers political, economic, commercial, humanitarian, security and other aspects. India has also proudly participated in technological advancement of Armenia through the one of its kind India-Armenia Centre of Excellence in IT, in which more than one-third of total IT resources of Armenia have been trained and, which is a vital strength of Armenian economy and IT exports base. India and Armenia have a strong development partnership promoting sharing of expertise, knowledge and capacity building through Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programmes and other scholarship programmes in India. In this context, the Embassy of India profusely thanks the Government of Armenia and the Yerevan Municipality for their adoption of the decision to install the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Yerevan. It is a befitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, who belongs to entire humanity. The United Nations has declared the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the 2nd October as the International Day of Non-violence. It is our earnest hope that the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Yerevan will inspire the young generation about the teachings, principles and relevance of Mahatma Gandhi and promote the cause of peace and non-violence”, the embassy said in a statement.

Armenpress: ECHR ruling should become basis to eradicate hatred against Armenians in Azerbaijan – MFA Artsakh

Ani Tigranian

ECHR ruling should become basis to eradicate hatred against Armenians in Azerbaijan – MFA Artsakh

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 19:27,

YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS.  On May 26, 2020, the European Court of Human Rights ruled on the murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan by Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov in Hungary in 2004, as well as the extradition, pardon and glorification of the murderer in Azerbaijan. The court ruled that Azerbaijan had violated Article 2 (the right to life) and Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Artsakh.

It is noteworthy that during the proceedings, the Court noted that the actions of Azerbaijan – the pardon of Ramil Safarov immediately after his arrival in Azerbaijan, the payment of salaries during his stay in the Hungarian prison, the provision of an apartment and the career advancement – indicate that Azerbaijan recognizes and accepts the crimes by Ramil Safarov as its own. The court also stressed that each of these measures individually and collectively had testified that various state structures and top officials had approved and encouraged Ramil Safarov’s actions and that the approval and encouragement were strongly supported by the Azerbaijani society as a whole.

As we have repeatedly stated, pardon, heroization and popular glorification of a murderer as a role model to follow are an integral part of the state policy of the Azerbaijani authorities conducted for years on inciting Armenophobia in the country and encouraging hate crimes against Armenians. We consider it necessary to recall once again that the manifestations of racism and xenophobia against Armenians in Azerbaijan have been repeatedly mentioned in the documents of a number of international organizations, in particular, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the European Commission against Racism, and Intolerance and the Council of Europe Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

The fact that not only the Azerbaijani authorities, but also the majority of the Azerbaijani society approve and encourage the heinous crime committed by Ramil Safarov is an alarming signal of serious transformation of the public consciousness in the country.

The ECHR ruling on the murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan by Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov can and should become a basis for taking practical steps, supported by the international community, to eradicate the negative phenomena caused by the multi-year state policy and practice of the Azerbaijani authorities on injecting the “hatred virus” against Armenians and everything Armenian into the public consciousness.




Construction of Iran-Armenia 3rd power transmission line to resume soon

Karapet Navasardian

Construction of Iran-Armenia 3rd power transmission line to resume soon

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 21:42,

YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. The deepening of relations with Iran is of paramount importance for Armenia. The two countries have mutually beneficial cooperation particularly in energy sphere. There are also great cooperation opportunities in the sidelines of the EAEU. The Government of Armenia has taken significant measures in the last two years for deepening trade relations with Iran and expanding Armenia’s capacities as a transit country. Particularly, in 2019 the inter-state road linking Iran with Georgia was repaired. It’s planned to modernize Meghri checkpoint this year, as well as to put into operation the 3rd power transmission line, as a result of which the volume of gas imported from Iran will increase.

Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of Armenia, Chairman of the Armenian-Iranian Intergovernmental Joint Commission from the Armenian side Suren Papikyan spoke about one of the major projects between Armenia and Iran, the construction of the 3rd power transmission line during the parliament-Cabinet Q&A session on May 27.

Answering the question of one of the MPs, Suren Papikyan said, ”Conditioned by the coronavirus, our Iranian partners were unable to visit Armenia for nearly 3 months due to the restrictions imposed by both Iran and Armenia. But the project manager of the company is already in Armenia and 5 engineers will arrive in Armenia on June 1. The entire team, nearly 60 people, are scheduled to be here within two weeks and the construction works will resume’’, Papikyan said.

He added that the construction works are planned to be finished by the end of 2020. ‘’Since the construction works had been suspended in the last months, maybe there will be some problems with the deadline, but we hope we will be able to finish the construction before the deadline’’, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of Armenia Suren Papikyan said.




We are committed to victorious contribution and message of Sardarapat and Artsakh – PM Pashinyan

Maghakian Mike

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 10:26,

YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan issued a congratulatory message on Republic Day. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the message runs as follows,

‘’Dear people, proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia,
Proud citizens of the Republic of Artsakh,
Proud Armenians of the Diaspora.

Congratulations to all of us on Republic Day!

After taking control of Alexandropol on May 15, 1918, the Turkish vanguard forces reached the village of Sardarapat on May 21: it seemed that they would inevitably enter Etchmiadzin and Yerevan, and the rest of the Armenians were doomed.

The situation was critical. However, it was necessary to stand up to the deadly attack. Aram Manukyan was the one to embody the fighting spirit and the strength of the Armenians. Always fair and decisive, Aram used to say in those days of despair. “Let us all get down to work, and we are sure to be on the winning side!”

Despair soon changed to enthusiasm. In the heroic battles of Sardarapat, Bash-Aparan and Gharakilisa, the Armenian nation once and for all earned its worthy place on the world map. The May victories led to the establishment of the Republic of Armenia.

The heroes of Sardarapat, Bash-Aparan and Gharakilisa became the builders of Armenia’s independence. Eternal glory to Aram Manukyan, Tovmas Nazarbekyan, Movses Silikyan, Dro, Nzhdeh, Daniel and Poghos Bek-Pirumyans, Yezidi cavalry detachment commander Jhangir Agha! Glory to the Armenian army, the people’s volunteer corps fighters and clergy who fought with arms in hand!

On those heroic days of 1918, about 1500 men and women worked hard in the territory of today’s Yerablur to erect military fortifications on the initiative of Aram Manukyan. Yerablur was the defensive end of Yerevan. The victorious battle of Sardarapat prevented Yerevan from being captured, and Yerablur became a special place of pilgrimage years later to commemorate the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of Artsakh.

Today we are committed to the victorious contribution and message of Sardarapat and Artsakh, we believe that we will have the Armenia of our dream with a just and creative society striving for progress and change, a strong economy and an even stronger and more modern army.

Dear compatriots,

Aram Manukyan used to say. “…you must know that I am powerless without you. The entire Armenian nation is a hero, and our efforts will go in vain unless people want … to work and save the Armenians from impending doom.” Therefore, let us all get down to work for the sake of the Armenia of our dream!

I am convinced that the victorious citizen of the Republic of Armenia will never again allow the loss of statehood or citizenship, the loss of our sovereign rights, the loss of faith and optimism.

The Republic of Armenia must exist on the planet Earth forever, the flag of Armenia must fly high forever, symbolizing our spirit and pride, our freedom and sovereignty.

Long live Freedom!
Long live the Republic of Armenia!
Long live the Republic of Artsakh!
Long live the heroes of Sardarapat, Bash-Aparan, Gharakilisa!
Long live the founding fathers of the First Republic!
And long live us and our children who live and will live in a Free and Happy Armenia!’’

We derive lessons from experience, achievements and failures of 1st Republic – President Sarkissian

Emil Lazarian

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 10:29,

YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian issued a congratulatory message on Republic Day. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the President’s Office, the message runs as follows,

‘’Dear Compatriots,

Today, we are celebrating the Republic Day – the anniversary of the creation of the First Republic of Armenia.

Armenian statehood was reestablished in the most complex international situation, when the World War I was still raging, and Armenia – with its Eastern and Western parts – became one of its most ferocious frontlines.

Under the disguise of the war, Ottoman Turkey had already deported and massacred millions of Armenians and put into direct danger the very existence of the Armenian nation.

At that fateful moment, after the heroic battles against Turk invaders in Sardarapat, Bash Aparan and Karakilissa, on May 28, 1918 Armenian independence was declared.

The historic significance of the First Republic is invaluable.

Almost 500 years after the fall of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, Armenian statehood was reinstated. It was a dream for multiple generations and the result of the centuries-long national liberation struggle.

A multiparty democratic system of government was introduced in the country, civil liberties, universal suffrage, including for women, were established.

Statebuilding was given a start, enlightenment, science, and education were impelled.
Able forces rushed to the Fatherland from all over the world to serve the newly independent state.

Armenia became a subject of international law; foreign relations were established, ambassadors and representatives of Armenia were accredited to a number of countries.

The creation of an independent and united Armenia, which on May 28, 1919 was solidified by the decision of the Parliament, was the quintessence of the centuries-long national struggle and ideology, as well as emanated from the geopolitics of the time which resulted in the Treaty of Sèvres of August 10, 1920.

Experience, achievements, and failures of the First Republic became lessons for us. The most significant of them is that we must rely on ourselves only and to be able to do it, we must form the ultimate national goal and unite around it.

The implementation of the ideology, in which Armenia is the geopolitical core for the entire nation, is the promise of a safe, secure and prosperous future for our people.

The vision of the united Armenia, which is being passed from generation to generation, has been uniting us for many centuries.

It is our great national pledge, our political and historical heritage.

Nowadays, it is being manifested in the form of Armenia-Artsakh-Spyurk triumvirate. Issues of a peaceful and fair resolution of the Karabakh problem, recognition of the Armenian Genocide and elimination of its consequences exist in that very vision.

History of the human race teaches that practical policies are conducted in line with the current conditions and opportunities; however the ultimate national goal is the driving force behind for the nation’s advancement and success.

One hundred years ago, with that goal in mind and weapons in their hands, our ancestors were fighting devotedly for the salvation and independence of Armenia.

After independence of 1991, Armenia reestablished its unique place in the world.

The present and future generations have to build a stable, developed and united Fatherland which will take under its auspice the entire Armenian nation.

Long live May 28 – Armenian Statehood Reestablishment Day!

Long live the Republic of Armenia!

Long live the Republic of Artsakh!

Long live the Armenian nation!

Eternal glory to all those who died for the Fatherland!

God save us all”.