The Armenian people are ready to strike a worthy blow at the enemy, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an address.
“The Republic of Armenia is the guarantor of the security and independence of the Artsakh Republic. And the Republic of Armenia today stands behind Artsakh with all the potential of its population and state system. We will make every possible and impossible effort to keep the borders of our homeland inviolable, to protect our freedom and independence,” the Prime Minister said.
Below are Nikol Pashinyan’s remarks in full:
Dear compatriots,
Proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia,
Proud citizens of the Republic of Artsakh,
Proud Armenians in the Diaspora,
Brothers and sisters,
Starting from early morning today, the Artsakh Republic was subjected to the aggression of armed forces of Azerbaijan. The peaceful population, capital Stepanakert, civilian infrastructures in the Republic of Artsakh are being targeted. At this moment, casualties have been reported, including among the civilian population.
Using heavy weapons, artillery and infantry, the rival is attacking the positions of the Artsakh Defense Army in all directions. At this point the Defense Army is fighting hard and is fulfilling its task of protecting Artsakh with dignity, undertaking actions arising from the situation.
Dear compatriots,
Ilham Aliyev’s dictatorial regime has once again resorted to military actions. It is a war declared against the Armenian people. It is a war against our independence, freedom and dignity.
The Armenian people are ready for that war. Because he has always soberly realized that Armenophobia, hatred and enmity which the Azerbaijani dictatorship has been feeding its people with for decades could not lead to any result other than war. The dictatorship of Azerbaijan has become a hostage of its own anti-Armenian policy and today tries to justify its own propaganda promises to resolve the Karabakh conflict by military means.
The Armenian people are ready to strike a worthy blow at the enemy. The Republic of Armenia is the guarantor of the security and independence of the Artsakh Republic. And the Republic of Armenia today stands behind Artsakh with all the potential of its population and state system. We will make every possible and impossible effort to keep the borders of our homeland inviolable, to protect our freedom and independence.
As a signatory of the 1994 ceasefire agreement, the Republic of Armenia will take necessary actions on the political, diplomatic and military arena to ensure the physical security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and to impose peace on the enemy.
At the moment, the enemy is already suffering significant losses in manpower and military equipment. Azerbaijan must realize that the combat effectiveness of our army is higher today than ever. The enemy must understand that all Armenians stand behind Artsakh today.
We are united as always. We are united, just as we have been in all the crucial moments of our history, when the enemy has threatened our existence, our identity and our values.
The dictatorial authorities of Azerbaijan must understand that it is impossible to bring the Armenian people to their knees. We have had many crucial moments and overcome many difficulties in our millennial history. Our case is fair and this criminal encroachment will also receive a worthy counterattack.
We are well aware that the Azerbaijani dictatorship may launch military operations in the direction of the borders of the Republic of Armenia and resort to various provocations to completely destabilize the situation in the region. This is the reason why a state of martial law and a general mobilization have been declared in the Republic of Armenia by the decision of the government.
I call the attention of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair States and the entire international community to the seriousness of the situation. The outbreak of a large-scale war in the South Caucasus, which we are now on the verge of, could have the most unpredictable consequences. It could go beyond the borders of the region and reach a much larger scale, threatening international security and stability.
I call on the international community to use all its levers of influence to refrain from any possible interference by Turkey, which will ultimately destabilize the situation in the region. Turkey’s aggressive behavior, which was especially dangerous during the events of July and continues today, is a matter of serious concern. Maintaining such a dangerous stance by Turkey has the most devastating consequences for the South Caucasus and the surrounding regions. The international community must work together to prevent the dangerous development of events and to refrain from any attempts to destabilize the region.
Dear compatriots,
Today we are in serious danger. The situation is getting worse with the epidemic. Therefore, the seriousness of the moment requires the vigilance of all of us. Our victory depends on the individual effort and behavior of each and every one of us.
I call on everyone to show the highest level of discipline and high civic awareness. And we will win.
And so
Long live Freedom!
Long live the Republic of Armenia,
Long live the Artsakh Republic!
Long live us and our children who will live in a Free and Happy Armenia, a Free and Happy Artsakh.
Glory to the Armenian Army.
Eternal glory to the Armenian soldier.
