Serzh Sargsyan chairs the 6th session of the commission to organize events for the centenary of the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan.
The 6th session of the State Commission on the Coordination of Events for the Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide kicked off today at the Presidential Palace in Yerevan. The president of the Commission, President Serzh Sargsyan chaired the session.
Prior to beginning the session, President Serzh Sargsyan made remarks about the recent escalation along the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border and the Karabakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact.
Following Sargsyan’s speech, Vigen Sargsyan, the president’s Chief of Staff and the coordinator of the events to commemorate the centennial, presented a report about the activities of the commission followed by an awards ceremony.
By a presidential decree, a number of benefactors and entrepreneurs from both the Diaspora and Armenia received commendations and awards for their active support in the realization of events dedicated to the centennial.
Among those to receive medals was Samvel Karapetyan, owner of Tashir Group, who received a medal of the First Order for his Service to the Fatherland; Samvel Aleksanyan, owner of Aleks Group and Gagik Tsarukyan, owner of Multi Group both received medals of the Second Order in Service to the Fatherland.
Below is the full transcript of President Sargsyan’s comments regarding the violence on the front lines:
“Dear compatriots,
Before going on to the agenda items, I have something to say about the events of the last two days.
On the eve of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly and amid the regular peacemaking efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-Chairs, before the eyes of the entire world, confident in its impunity, and inspired by the practice of numerous international players to equalize the actions of the sides to the conflict, Azerbaijan again impenitently violated its obligations to maintain the ceasefire. As a consequence of the ceasefire violation, we have suffered painful losses: four Armenian young soldiers, the guardians of their motherland’s tranquility, were killed, and one day ago, in their own house, in their own garden, in front of their beloved people three women were killed, a mother, a sister and a daughter, who would take care of their family with their peaceful work.
They were killed because an entire world can’t make Azerbaijan understand that the path of human losses, bloodshed, suffering and torture, and of drowning out the voice of its own citizens does not lead to peace, does not lead to prosperity, and does not lead to stability and security.
As demonstrated by the modern history of humankind, the path chosen by Azerbaijani authorities, the path of crimes against humanity either results in an international punishment or leads to the scaffold put up by its own people completely run out of patience.
By deviating from the path to the peaceful resolution of the conflict, Azerbaijan is also deviating, gradually and steadily, from the path of other norms of international law. Gradually and steadily, Azerbaijan’s criminal regime is further plunging into the swamp of crimes against humanity.
The law of the civilized world calls upon humanity to put an end to the impunity of crimes against humanity. The Republic of Armenia is committed to this position. We will consistently reveal, disclose and persecute each committer of such crimes, starting from the private soldier executing an order to the commander issuing such an order. Lacking alternatives, we ourselves will be humanity’s retributive sword against committers of these crimes. We will do it on our own as long as the civilized world is not able to find a more effective mechanism.
These are not mere words when we say that we are not afraid of war. Armenia and by Armenia I also mean Nagorno-Karabakh as its inseparable part, is one of the most heavily armed zones on earth. As you know, our grandfathers would say that no rice is given out during a battle. And throughout more than 20 years of the imposed ceasefire, which has been impossible to transform into peace on account of Baku’s authorities, we have tried our best to avoid a new confrontation. We will continue in the same vein, and that also includes the revenge for our fallen boys and civilians, and for our women. The enemy must not sleep quietly along the entire frontline, thinking that he has remained unpunished.
We will force Azerbaijan’s government to give an account to its people for causing them continued suffering.”
