20.09.14 - 5th Armenia-Diaspora Conference: Day 2

Homeland not a prison, nor an inn: President

September 20, 2014 - 18:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Promotion of statehood is one of the main challenges faced by Armenian people today, and we must rise to it, President Serzh Sargsyan said at the closure of the 5th Armenia-Diaspora conference in Yerevan.

The Armenian leader further indicated emigration as one of the main current issues, and urged countermeasures to reduce the outflow.

“I’m confident that the homeland mustn’t be a prison to an Armenian. Nor should it be a hotel. It’s in their motherland that Armenians must have their home,” the President said.

To contribute to strengthening of their homeland, President Sargsyan urged Armenians worldwide to unite in developing their professional qualities and boosting patriotism among the youth.

Sargsyan also stressed the country’s economic progress among the key priorities, hailing those who contribute to Armenia’s welfare. “Armenian leadership welcomes any initiative and is ready to provide investment opportunities, allowing Diaspora to shift from philanthropy to mutually beneficial cooperation.”

“A free and independent Armenia is a reality, and I invite you to increase your involvement in further development of your country,” the President stressed.

The Armenia-Diaspora conference hosted around 700 representatives of 150 organizations from 60 countries worldwide. The conference was held September 19-20 in Yerevan.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.

The Armenian-Turkish Protocols

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

Commenting on the CC ruling, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “it contains preconditions and restrictive provisions which impair the letter and spirit of the Protocols.” ”The decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these Protocols as well as their fundamental objective. This approach cannot be accepted on our part. Turkey, in line with its accustomed allegiance to its international commitments, maintains its adherence to the primary provisions of these Protocols. We expect the same allegiance from the Armenian government,” the Ministry said.