The Armenian Relief Society Central Executive on Friday issued a statement expressing its solidarity and support for the “Tavush for the Homeland” protest movement, which has drawn tens of thousands of Armenians to the streets demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
The movement was sparked when Armenia’s authorities unilaterally ceded four villages in the Tavush Province to Azerbaijan, kicking off the long-dormant border delimitation process between the two countries.
Below is the text of the ARS Central Executive Statement.
Once more, our nation is facing dire and existential circumstances as Armenian government
authorities have undertaken efforts to delimit and demarcate borders, completely neglecting the return of Armenian sovereign lands.
Simultaneously, these unilateral compromises are touted to the public as pathways to peace, while in fact Armenia is the sole sufferer and Azerbaijan reaps the rewards of this process.
Considering the ongoing developments that sparked the “Tavoush for the Homeland” movement spearheaded under Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan’sleadership, the Armenian Relief Society and its global entities express deep concerns regarding recent decisions taken by Armenian governmental authorities. We stand united in safeguarding the well-being of the inhabitants of these bordering villages and aiming to transform these protective outposts into bastions of strength rather than abandoned territories.
Driven by the overarching goal of preserving Armenia as our homeland, the Armenian Relief Society, a crucial institution dedicated to the Armenian humanitarian causes, pledges its solidarity with the “Tavush for the Homeland” movement, with a mother’s nurturing love, whose resilience guides the Armenian woman to led her children into recognizing that our homeland should never be used as a pawn for political gain. It is our collective national duty to stand by the residents of our border villages, acting with a sense of obligation and national consciousness for the humanitarian needs, justice, peace and prosperity of Armenia.
