Artsakh Was Considered a Yoke Around Armenia's Neck That Needed to be Freed: Samvel Shahramanyan

"The Call of Artsakh" memorial complex will become a sanctuary not only for the people of Artsakh but for all Armenians as well. This was stated by the President of Artsakh, Samvel Shahramanyan, during the opening ceremony of the monument at the Yerablur Military Pantheon. According to him, the memorial will be visited not only on commemorative days but also during holidays, and even weddings.

“It is difficult to speak in a place where heroes rest, who sacrificed their lives for the establishment of the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh. Unfortunately, we have found ourselves in a harsh reality. The reality is that Artsakh was considered a yoke around the neck of the Republic of Armenia, which needed to be removed in order to gain the opportunity to preserve Armenia's independence and sovereignty,” Shahramanyan added.

He emphasized that many of the heroes resting in Yerablur dedicated their lives for the sake of Artsakh, but today thousands of Artsakh people are considered refugees in their own homeland. Summarizing his remarks, the President of Artsakh noted that the collective dream of returning to Artsakh must always be kept in mind, and one day it will become a reality.

Shahramanyan also addressed the dissolution of the Minsk Group: “We opposed the dissolution of the Minsk Group because it was the only mechanism created in international platforms that dealt with the issue of Artsakh. However, we saw that even under the existence of the Minsk Group, it was possible for Artsakh people to be forcibly displaced from their homeland. We hope that other mechanisms will be created, and we will also be able to utilize them.”

Regarding Prime Minister Pashinyan's statement, Shahramanyan first noted that he did not want to comment on his words but wanted to address one issue: “If today it is said that the issue of Artsakh is closed, that the Minsk Group has been dissolved, and that Artsakh is considered part of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, then it should be noted that all this has been implemented within the framework of a mandate given by a citizen of the Republic of Armenia,” Shahramanyan stated.