ArmInfo. The main vision of the Armenian people should be the creation of a powerful, developed Republic of Armenia. This was stated by the former NKR State Minister, President of the Artsakh Union Artak Beglaryan during his tour in the USA.
As reported by the press service of the Artsakh Union, Beglaryan spoke at events at Yale University, the Connecticut House of Representatives in Hartford and the center of the Armenian community of Illinois in Chicago.
In his speeches, the former official from Artsakh presented seven strategic goals, with the help of which it will be possible to restore the rights of the Artsakh population.
Beglaryan, in particular, raised the problems of the forcibly displaced Artsakh population, the current situation and the necessary actions to solve the problems that have arisen. Presenting the main goals, Beglaryan noted that they can be remembered by the first letters of the English word "PERSIST" (persist - ed.). According to him, these goals include actions to assist in the development of the Artsakh population in Armenia, ensuring a stable and dignified existence, as well as preserving its identity.
Beglaryan also stressed the need to preserve the physical environment of Artsakh, including its cultural heritage and property, which are being actively destroyed and appropriated by Azerbaijan. In this vein, he called for documenting all crimes and recording the rights of the people of Artsakh in all possible international instances.
"It is necessary to ensure international recognition and condemnation of the genocide of the people of Artsakh as a continuation of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. We must initiate and achieve international justice, punishing the criminals and thereby preventing new crimes against humanity against the Armenian and other peoples," Beglaryan continued.
In addition, the President of the Artsakh Union drew attention to the importance of eliminating Armenophobia in Azerbaijan, carried out at the state level, which is the main ideological basis for the crimes committed by Azerbaijanis against Armenians. Beglaryan also called for the return of Armenian prisoners of war, and drew attention to the fictitious trials in Azerbaijan against Armenians solely because of their nationality. In the context of the right of the people of Artsakh to return to their homes, Beglaryan presented several international examples of the return of forcibly displaced peoples. He expressed his conviction that the collective return of the people of Artsakh will be possible if there is political will on the part of the superpowers. And for this, according to him, responsible and effective efforts by the state institutions of Armenia are necessary first and foremost.
"In this difficult situation, the main vision of the Armenian people should be the creation of a powerful, developed Republic of Armenia with national responsibility, which also implies ensuring a safe, dignified, stable life in Artsakh through collective return," the president of the Artsakh Union said.
In conclusion, Beglaryan called for being prepared for a consistent and long-term struggle in the name of universal values and the existence of the Armenian people.
According to the report, the event at Yale University was organized by the MacMillan Center's Genocide Studies Program, the National Association for Armenian Studies (NAASR), the Poynter Program, and the Yale Armenian Network. In turn, the event in Hartford was organized by the Armenian Community of Connecticut, and the event in Chicago by the Illinois Chapter of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan, under the pretext of an "anti-terrorist operation," committed another act of aggression against Artsakh. This was preceded by a nearly 10-month blockade of the unrecognized republic. Since the enemy aggression that began in the fall of 2020, which in September 2023 ended with the complete ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, over 150 thousand Artsakh residents have lost their homeland and become refugees.