Karabakh President: Two Armenian states together build their reliable future

Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan on Saturday issued an address on the start of the “Armenian Genocide as a Crime against Humanity” International Conference.

The address runs as follows:

“Dear participants of the conference,

I welcome all of you on the Artsakh soil and congratulate on the start of such a significant event.

You perform a great work carrying out the research and condemnation of crimes against humanity, protection and promotion of fundamental human rights and freedoms, democratic norms, principles and human values. It is a special mission that deserves the highest assessment.

It is very much symbolic that the international conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is held in Artsakh. Exactly a century ago the Ottoman Turkey organized and brutally realized on a state level the genocide of the Armenian people as a result of which our people lost the greater part of their historical homeland and became refugees spreading all over the world. The fact that this unprecedented massacre in the human history was not properly recognized gave birth to new crimes. The pogroms of the Armenians organized in 1988 in Sumgait and in 1990 in Baku as well as the war forced upon the Artsakh people are the best manifestations of that. But this time the enemy’s plans to exterminate our people were doomed to failure as the century-long pain and losses strengthened the freedom-loving Armenian soul, made our nation stronger and unwavering.

During the Artsakh Liberation War the whole Armenian people stood side by side to defend their native land, ancient language, faith and culture, carve their future with their own hands. National unity and cohesion as well as the independent Armenian statehood became the symbol and guarantee of our victories, which should be kept and cherished as an apple of an eye. With this conviction and consciousness we were able to resist the enemy, overcome all the ordeals and difficulties and build the two Armenian states that together build their reliable future.

Dear friends,

I am confident that the conference will efficiently solve the issues set before it and have a worthy contribution to the process of the Armenian Genocide recognition.

I wish all of you successes and all the best.”