We Entered a New Circle of Hell. We Have Not Resigned to This Situation. Former President of Armenia

Armenia expresses gratitude to the leadership of the Russian Federation for their efforts both towards stopping active military operations and for ensuring the security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh through the deployment of peacekeeping forces, stated the former President of Armenia and leader of the Republican Party Serzh Sargsyan at the international inter-party video conference on the theme "Global Challenges of the 21st Century: Inter-Party Platform."

“We call for a stronger commitment to uphold the ceasefire. I urge my colleagues to unconditionally support the approach of a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, based on the fundamental principles that have been repeatedly articulated by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group,” he said.

Sargsyan emphasized that the recent snap elections in Armenia did not lead to the resolution of the deep crisis the country is facing. “We have merely entered a new circle of hell, with ongoing Azerbaijani aggression, this time on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. In the context of recent regional developments and challenges, the vital interests of the Armenian people cannot be overlooked, and the destructive and unjust consequences of war cannot be treated as a new reality. We have not resigned to this situation, and this is not revanchism,” stated the former president.

Sargsyan asserted that the issue of Artsakh is not resolved, and the right to self-determination of the citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh is non-negotiable. Armenia must remain a regional sovereign actor and a strategic ally of Russia.

“We are witnessing a global reconfiguration of the ethics and philosophy of political processes, leading to a crisis of international institutions and a total erosion of international law. The 'tectonic' shifts are also affecting the South Caucasus region, which has become dangerous 'seismically' in a geopolitical sense. It is common to assure that the foreign policies of states have become more rational. In this context, one must admit that rationalism is divided from cynicism by a fragile line called decency. A crisis of decency, a crisis of morality, a crisis of justice—these are what I consider to be important challenges in the contemporary tendencies of global rethinking. For instance, it is difficult to convincingly explain to the Armenian public why certain CSTO member countries welcome and congratulate a non-CSTO member state for a military victory over a CSTO member state.

From a distance of years, I can confidently emphasize that my decision on Armenia's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union was correct, and that, together with you, Dmitry Anatolyevich, our joint initiatives regarding the extension of the terms and expansion of the powers of the Russian military base in Armenia, which were signed in 2010, were indeed right. There still exists a powerful, unutilized potential for cooperation between Armenia and Russia. Unfortunately, the efforts of Armenia’s current government in this direction are insufficient, ineffective, and sometimes even contrary,” noted the former President of Armenia.