
ArmInfo. On September 2, a flower-laying ceremony at the "Call of Artsakh" memorial took place at the Yerablur military pantheon, dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Artsakh. Representatives of the Artsakh parliament, members of the National Assembly of Armenia, and citizens came to the pantheon to honor the memory of the fallen.
In an interview with journalists, Acting Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh Gagik Baghunts noted that in the current circumstances, against the backdrop of the processes unfolding in Armenia and the region, keeping the Artsakh issue on the agenda remains a serious problem. According to him, Artsakh representatives, assessing the situation and calculating all their next steps, continue to work to ensure this issue is not forgotten. "This issue contains not only political, but also socio-economic, legal, and humanitarian components. Our primary goal is to lead the people of Artsakh out of this difficult situation. As part of this work, various meetings and hearings are being held, and an attempt is being made to unite the efforts of all forces interested in the fate of Artsakh and the protection of the rights of its people," noted the Acting Speaker of the Artsakh Parliament.
In his opinion, today it is necessary to formulate a policy that will not allow Artsakh to be consigned to oblivion and portrayed—as the Armenian authorities do—as a threat to Armenia and the world. "The Artsakh people are that part of the Armenian nation that advocates for peace. Having lived through three wars, our people understand the value of peace very well and therefore strive to pursue a policy that could contribute to it. But peace should not be achieved at the expense of freedom and at the cost of fundamental concessions," Bagunts added.
After laying flowers at the "Call of Artsakh" memorial, Bagunts called for remembering those who died defending their homeland. "We must do everything to ensure their heroism is not in vain. Glory to all the fallen heroes," the Speaker of the Artsakh Parliament emphasized.
Metaxe Hakobyan, a member of the Artsakh National Assembly, stated that protecting the rights of the people of Artsakh remains a key issue for them today. According to her, the position on the right of Artsakh to return is supported by international organizations and representatives of various states. "They confirm that returning to Artsakh is our right, and it must be restored. They do not view return as an insoluble problem. They see the position of the current Armenian leadership as an obstacle," Hakobyan noted.
The MP also expressed regret over the lack of a united front in the fight for the rights of the Artsakh people. She noted that, despite the similarity of public statements, all actions in this direction are carried out in a disjointed manner. "We're all talking about the same thing, but we're working separately. We'll never make any progress on this issue if we act as if we represent different societies," Hakobyan is confident.
As a reminder, on September 2, 1991, based on the USSR Law "On the Procedure for Resolving Issues Related to the Secession of a Union Republic from the USSR," a joint session of deputies from all levels of the NKAO and Shahumyan region proclaimed the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR).