ArmInfo. The imposed peace cannot be just, nor stable and lasting. This statement was made by Mario Nalbandian, ARF representative in the Socialist International (SI) and SI Vice President. He was participating in the SI Presidency, Financial and Organizational Commissions, as well as the Council meetings in Istanbul on May 23-25, 2025.
As ArmInfo was informed by the press service of the Central Office of the ARF "Hay Dat" Bureau, during the discussion of the second topic on the agenda of the Council operating between congresses, entitled "Overcoming Violence and Conflicts, Protecting Civilians", Nalbandian drew attention to the fact that such words as "peace", "democracy", "human rights" were frequently uttered during the speeches. However, he noted that the powerful in the world today are seeking to establish the supremacy of force instead of law. " I call this period the post-legal era, when laws within the country are ignored in favor of the power of the day, and in international relations, force ignores international law, international humanitarian law, the multilateral structure of the international governance system, striving to return to a new era of empires and vassal states," Nalbandian noted. In this regard, he recalled that in the last months of 2023, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, sounded the alarm that 75 years after the signing of the convention, today the Rohingya in Myanmar, the Tigrayans in Ethiopia, the Masalites in Sudan, the Palestinians in Gaza occupied by Israel, and the Armenians of Artsakh are under the threat of genocide.
"All these groups have not received any proper response from the international community. The case of Artsakh is an ongoing crime. Armenians were expelled from their millennia-old lands by Azerbaijan, which ignores the decisions of the International Court to guarantee the rights of indigenous peoples and their safe return," Nalbandian emphasized.
Additionally, he recalled that, in violation of international law, Azerbaijan continues to holdArmenian prisoners of war and try them on false charges. Among them, as the "Hay Dat" bureau member mentioned, are the leaders of Artsakh, including ARF bureau member David Ishkhanyan.
"Azerbaijan is also consistently destroying the religious and cultural heritage and monuments of the Armenian people. During various speeches at this meeting, words and wishes for peace were heard and even hints were made about Armenian-Turkish relations. Armenia and Azerbaijan are in the process of a peace, a process about which we have disagreements and questions. However, we seriously believe in the idea of peace. Turkey follows this process and conditions its relations with Armenia by signing that "peace treaty", thereby putting additional pressure on Armenia," the ARF representative noted.
He recalled that since gaining independence in 1991, Armenia has always sought to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey without preconditions, but the Turkish side has refused. Nalbandian stressed that if Turkey really wants to contribute to the establishment of a just, lasting and stable peace in the region, it must review its history and accept its responsibility for the implementation of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. According to the source, the meetings convened in Istanbul were hosted by the Republican People's Party of Turkey (CHP). The SI Presidency and Council meetings were chaired by the organization's President, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.