Attempt to Turn Artsakh into a Political Pawn: Arshavir Ghahramanyan

No political leader or figure can casually hand over what has been achieved through the collective will and blood of our people. This statement was made by Arshavir Ghahramanyan, the representative of the President of the Artsakh Republic for special assignments, a Hero of Artsakh, and a Lieutenant General on his Facebook page.

“I CALL ON EVERYONE TO STAY AWAY FROM FAKE AGENDAS, TO GATHER AROUND THE STATE AUTHORITY AND TO PREPARE FOR ANOTHER VICTORY. Armenia is constantly in motion, struggle, and war due to destiny’s decree. We have had successes, failures, victories, and defeats in different phases of the national liberation struggle. We have had leaders under whose rule our interests were promoted, victories were achieved, and in some cases, defeats were suffered. The movement of the 1980s brought a new awakening for both parts of our homeland – Armenia and Artsakh. Soviet Armenia declared independence, while Artsakh, linked to Soviet Azerbaijan, exercised its right to self-determination in accordance with the letter and spirit of Soviet legislation at that time, and declared the REPUBLIC OF MOUNTAINOUS KARABAKH.

Azerbaijan, unwilling to accept these realities, adopted an aggressive stance, launching a war against newly independent Artsakh, supported by the international community with their patrons. As a result of approximately four years of military operations, the Armenian people succeeded in liberating part of our historical homeland, forcing Azerbaijan to initially agree to a ceasefire, and later to sign peace treaties.

New realities were also enshrined in the Constitution of Artsakh. I started with a brief introduction because recently, in political and public discussions, topics circulating not only devalue our history and the path we have taken but also create new dangers for our statehood. Fake agendas, actively driven by various centers independent of us, have introduced rumors regarding this or that figure ‘selling Artsakh’ or ‘giving away lands.’ Regardless of what they intended, what they thought, or what they were capable of—Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan, or today, Nikol Pashinyan—one thing must be established: no political figure or leader can just hand over what has been achieved through our people's collective will and sacrifices.

The only exception here was the first President of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, who has long insisted that it is impossible to maintain Artsakh in its current status. Unfortunately, in recent decades, there has been a constant attempt to turn Artsakh into a political pawn for those aspiring to power, on one side, and for those holding onto power, on the other side. In this context, ‘handing over land’ has become the greatest and heaviest accusation against all governments. No one can hand over land; we will not allow it.

Moreover, I believe that as long as the people are fighting, as long as the people are ideologically and value-wise inclined to defend their victory, nothing can separate us from our previously declared objectives. However, if we dismantle the pillars of our statehood, destroy our churches, weaken our army, and divide our society and the Armenians living in different parts of our homeland, we will create fertile ground for hostile forces and countries with their own agendas advocating ‘land giveaways.’

We must break free from the politically imposed ‘fake agendas,’ instill healthy currents into society, and foster unity and harmony while building and strengthening our statehood on firmer foundations. Only under these conditions will we not only enhance our resilience as a state but will also get the opportunity to focus on our real agendas and the challenges imposed on us,” he has written.