Some in Armenia Are Entering Into Dangerous Areas

The aftermath of the Six-Week War continues to haunt the minds, souls, inner world, and the entire life of Armenians. Unfortunately, the current circumstances are not short of people and organizations who are exploiting the situation for political and personal goals, and by doing so endangering the existence and sovereignty of Armenia and Artsakh.

These days we are witnessing two remarkable phenomena. The first is the wide-ranging misinformation campaign against Artsakh, which forced President Arayik Harutyunyan to address the issue head-on. “One writes that we are going to dissolve the army and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the other is saying that we are going to abandon the Garmir Shuka-Shushi road, the third is saying that we are going to raise an Azerbaijani flag in Stepanakert, and so on and so forth. All these are utter lies, and it is simply impossible for the Artsakh authorities to agree to the wishes of external and internal enemies. I officially demand that everyone stop manipulating the name of Artsakh and the feelings of its people,” wrote the Artsakh President on his Facebook page.

To the examples mentioned by Arayik Harutyunyan, we should also add the recently published misinformation that Diaspora Armenians wishing to visit Artsakh, from now on, must apply to the Azerbaijani embassies abroad for a visa. The aim of the groups behind such falsehoods is to discredit the current Armenian government, but intentionally or unintentionally they are playing with the destiny of Artsakh and its people, at a time when the priority should be given to the immediate need to heal the scars of wounded Artsakh and saving what’s left of its dignity.

The second dangerous phenomenon became apparent when the creation of a new movement was announced under the name and slogan of “Strong Armenia with Russia. For the sake of a New Union”. The founding congress of this new group was attended by well-known political figures who have held high positions in the past. As the name indicates, the aim of the new movement is to enter into a new union with Russia. Recently, former president Robert Kocharyan also expressed a similar position.

Pro-Russian politicians and parties have been active on the political stage of Armenia for a long time. However, after the war it is becoming apparent that a race is going on between those offering their services to Moscow, hoping to achieve the goal of coming to power with the support of circles close to the Kremlin.

The Social Democrat Hunchakian Party has historically been in favor of close relations with Russia. For seven decades we have stood by Soviet Armenia and supported it, viewing it as the guarantor of the security and development of the Armenian nation. However, 30 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the establishment of the Third Armenian Republic, we find it unacceptable to support the idea of entering a new union with another state much larger than us. We believe that we should keep and strengthen our relations and alliances with Russia in any number of areas. The cooperation between the two countries must be maintained and expanded in the interests of both countries. Anything other than that is a direct attack on the sovereignty of the Armenian Republic and the right of its people to live freely and independently.

Political disagreements and aspirations to achieve power are normal as long as they remain within acceptable limits. Attempts to manipulate the current situation in Artsakh or to bargain Armenia’s sovereignty for political gains go beyond these boundaries, and will lead us to dangerous territories filled with minefields that could explode under the feet of us all.
“MASSIS”