Artsakh has restored statehood 5 times, we will restore it a 6th time, says Abraham Gasparyan

The collective return to Artsakh is possible—today, tomorrow, or even ten years from now, we will achieve it, Abraham Gasparyan, Director of the Genesis Armenia Think Tank/Foundation, said during a rally marking the 34th anniversary of Artsakh’s independence. Highlights from Gasparyan’s speech are presented below:

Authorities attempt to feed us artificial narratives, suggesting that homeland and state are contradictory. Claims that we will live in peace are false, deceitful, and politically manipulative. Without Artsakh, Syunik is at risk, as are Yerevan and the survival of the Armenian nation. Individual return to Artsakh is unacceptable.

Artsakh has endured ethnic cleansing, attempted genocide, and deprivation of homeland. Critics accuse those advocating the return to Artsakh of promoting war—a mere manipulation. In reality, it is this rally demanding peace. Those in power themselves provoke conflict through unbalanced diplomacy and destructive policies.

The more spiritual an Armenian person is, the less he is a consumer, the more he has a strong belief in peace and security. From this square, I appeal to the international community and all those who are lost in the alternative or dilemma of peace and war: Armenia, Artsakh, and the Diaspora have a united position on the issue of identity.

No one should ever think that the return to Artsakh is impossible. Collective return is achievable—today, tomorrow, or in ten years.

All political units in Armenia must explicitly state in their programs a clear position on a collective return to Artsakh and the restoration of the rights of Artsakhis.

The collective return to Artsakh should become an essential attribute of Armenian identity. The Armenian people are neither spiritually nor organizationally impoverished. Artsakh has been subjected to foreign invasions for 400 years, restored its statehood five times, and we will not hesitate to restore it a sixth time. Independence for Artsakh has never been the dream of Armenians; the goal has always been to reunite with Mother Armenia.

For those attempting to end the Third Republic of Armenia, the response is clear: the return to Artsakh, to the homeland will be achieved with strong diplomatic efforts, by uniting the Diaspora, Armenia, and Artsakh, wisely utilizing resources, and—most importantly—never selling our faith or reducing the word “Artsakh” to triviality.

Artsakh may not be adorned in celebration today, but Gasparyan assures that for hundreds of thousands of Armenians worldwide, the historic moment will come, and it will be used to its fullest. He wished everyone resilience, patience, and faith in regaining their stolen rights.