ANC: The loss of Artsakh and the weakening of Armenian statehood are  the main consequences of Pashinyan`s tenure

ArmInfo.The loss of Artsakh and the catastrophic weakening of Armenian statehood are the main consequences of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's tenure, as stated by the Armenian National Congress (ANC), the party of Armenia's first president, Levon Ter- Petrosyan, in response to Pashinyan's remarks  made on March 26.

Recall, at a briefing with journalists on March 26,  Pashinyan stated  that the people of Artsakh "fled and did not fight," and called for  no further discussion of the return of the Artsakh people to their  homeland. The prime minister then again touched on the topic of  Armenia's three former presidents, noting that "none of them were  legitimate, and Armenia's first president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan,  actually had dragged Armenia into this adventure."

"It turns out that Pashinyan knows absolutely nothing about the  ancient, medieval, or modern history of Armenia. The Artsakh movement  began with the official decision of the Council of People's Deputies  of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAO) on February 20,  1988, to which the Armenian people responded with mass  demonstrations," the ANC mentioned in a Facebook post.

The party noted that they were initially led by public figures Zori  Balayan and Igor Muradyan. It is recalled that other figures  subsequently joined them, and as a result, Vano Siradeghyan, Ashot  Manucharyan, Hambardzum Galustyan, Aleksan Hakobyan, Vazgen Manukyan,  Samvel Gevorgyan, and Samson Ghazaryan gradually joined the first  Karabakh Committee. The ANC added that Rafael Ghazaryan, Levon  Ter-Petrosyan, Babken Ararktsyan, and David Vardanyan were only  included in the committee in late May 1988.

Further, addressing the motives behind the Armenian Prime Minister's  statement, the ANC recalled that during Pashinyan's eight years in  power, the country had experienced three armed conflicts, during  which Armenia and Artsakh suffered catastrophic losses and defeats.  As the party noted, first came the 44-day war of 2020, which occurred  after the Armenian prime minister rejected the pro-Armenian  settlement program for the Artsakh issue, guaranteed by Russia, the  United States, and France (based on the Madrid Principles - ed.).  Then, as the ANC continued, came the war of September 2022, during  which, as a result of the Armenian prime minister's policy of  rejecting the November 9, 2020, statement (ending hostilities in the  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone - ed.), Armenia's sovereign  territories in Vardenis, Jermuk, and Syunik were lost. "And the 2023  war, which resulted from Pashinyan's recognition of Artsakh as  Azerbaijani territory and ended in genocide and the forced  displacement of the entire Artsakh population. The loss of Artsakh  and the catastrophic weakening of Armenian statehood are the main  consequences of Pashinyan's tenure. The Armenian Prime Minister is  well aware that he has committed a crime against the Armenian people  and is making pathetic attempts to avoid responsibility to the  Armenian people and history," the party emphasized.

The ANC stated that the Artsakh movement of 1988 was aimed at  protecting the fundamental rights of the people of the  Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and was initially constitutional and legal.  "When Azerbaijan responded with military aggression, self-defense  groups were formed in Artsakh, ensuring the safety and freedom of the  Artsakh population. The Artsakh issue could have been resolved  peacefully if the compromise settlement plan proposed by the  international community had been accepted. The greatest 'adventure,'  the greatest misfortune, was that this did not happen," the political  party stated.

The party of Armenia's first president blamed Pashinyan for the  events. "To avoid responsibility and cling to power, today he is  trying to occupy the despicable role of viceroy, ensuring  Azerbaijan's direct rule in Armenia. The 'peace' brought by Pashinyan  is dependence on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish  President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Nothing more," the ANC noted. In  light of the above, the party emphasized that it supports the process  of normalizing and reconciling relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey,  and has always held this position. However, unlike Pashinyan, it  categorically rejects any attempts to limit Armenia's sovereignty or  interfere in the country's internal affairs. "Pashinyan represents  the main threat to Armenian statehood and sovereignty today, and the  Armenian people will have a historic opportunity to oust him in the  parliamentary elections in June, 2026," the ANC concluded.