Artsakh leaders visit Yerablur military pantheon on NKR independence  referendum day

ArmInfo.  On December 10, the day of the referendum on the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the Constitution, the top leadership of Artsakh visited  the Yerablur military pantheon. They laid flowers at the memorial and  paid tribute to the sons of the Armenian people who sacrificed their  lives for the Motherland. The sixth President of Artsakh, Samvel  Shahramanyan, accompanied by Speaker of the Artsakh Parliament Ashot  Danielyan, NKR State Minister Nzhdeh Iskandaryan, members of  parliament, public figures, as well as the abbot of the Dadivank  monastery complex, Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, laid flowers at the "Call  of Artsakh" memorial complex.

Following this, parliamentary hearings began at the Artsakh  representative office. They began with the Artsakh anthem and the  Lord's Prayer. During the hearing, Speaker of the Artsakh Parliament  Ashot Danielyan emphasized that the occupation of Artsakh by  Azerbaijan does not mean the complete demise of the Republic. He  noted that despite Azerbaijan's aggression and crimes, the  independent Republic of Artsakh, which has been a manifestation of  the free will of the Artsakh people for more than three decades,  continues to temporarily function in Armenia.

He also acknowledged with regret that some of the Artsakh people were  forced to leave Armenia due to the policies pursued by the Armenian  authorities.

In this regard, he recalled that in December 2024, a decree by the  sixth President of Artsakh approved a strategy for ensuring the  operation of Artsakh state structures to create an institutional  foundation for the return and continuity of statehood. Danielyan  clarified that with these hearings, they are declaring a new stage of  the struggle, based on several principles. Firstly, as the Speaker of  the Artsakh Parliament mentioned, the right of the Artsakh people to  self-determination has been recognized by international structures  such as the UN, the OSCE Minsk Group, the European Union, and the  Council of Europe.  Secondly, he noted that the dissolution of the  OSCE Minsk Group occurred without the participation of Artsakh  representatives or consideration of their opinions, which ignores the  rights of 150,000 Artsakh residents to return and self-determination.  "Thirdly, the conflict has not been resolved. The current situation  is a result of aggression that violates international norms.  Fourthly, according to international standards, a country that has  committed ethnic cleansing or genocide against its population is  considered a criminal state and must be held accountable. Our primary  goal is to realize the rights of the people of Artsakh, to return to  their homeland, live there in safety, and determine the political  status of the Republic based on the principle of self-determination,"  Danielyan noted. 

He also reminded that only the authorities of Artsakh can speak on  behalf of the Artsakh people. He stressed the need to organize  elections with the participation of the people of Artsakh, although  it is impossible under the current circumstances. According to him,  based on this, the decision was made to hold elections at the first  possible opportunity.

"The people of Artsakh have always strived for peace and today are  ready to resolve issues peacefully, through negotiations based on  international norms," Danielyan concluded.