Serzh Sargsyan on Armenia and War

Serzh Sargsyan, the third President of Armenia and leader of the Republican Party, stated during the international interparty videoconference on the theme "Global Challenges of the 21st Century: Interparty Platform" that the recent snap elections in Armenia did not result in a way out of the deep crisis facing the country.

“We live in a time where, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we are being tested by history and for our generations. Millions of our citizens are fighting for their right to life, and our state systems are obliged to turn towards the citizens and prove their effectiveness. Unfortunately, in this situation, not all countries have been fortunate enough to have knowledgeable, responsible, and effective leaders. Before the coronavirus, many countries, including Armenia, were infected with another extremely dangerous virus: the virus of populism. It saddens me greatly to note this, as my country continues to feel the heavy consequences of incompetent populist governance, and the coronavirus was by no means the only trial we faced,” stated Sargsyan.

He emphasized that on September 27 of the previous year, we were subjected to large-scale aggression by Azerbaijan, which was directly and openly supported by Turkey and mercenaries brought from the Middle East.

“The war, where internationally banned weapons were used, had devastating consequences for my people—taking thousands of young lives, leaving tens of thousands homeless, and throwing hundreds of our compatriots into enemy captivity, the majority of whom Azerbaijan continues to hold and torture in prisons in Baku even after more than a year since the war. Taking advantage of the behavior of the weak and populist government in Armenia, as well as the permissiveness of interested external forces that helped them to come to power three years ago through known technologies for certain purposes, Azerbaijan continues to encroach upon the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, terrorizing the peaceful citizens of border communities, provoking military clashes, and continues to capture new soldiers,” Sargsyan noted. “Armenia has become a country upon which political science can study the disastrous consequences of ignorant populist leadership.”

The military and diplomatic corps, which have been fundamentally destroyed by the populist regime over the past three years, have failed to withstand Azerbaijani aggression. I reaffirm once again that this is not the defeat of our people but of a gang of criminal irresponsible demagogues,” Sargsyan concluded.