Europe Arrived in Yerevan, Reaffirming Its Support for the Armenian People

By  KRIKOR KHODANIAN

Last week, Armenia experienced historic days. Around 50 European heads of state, prime ministers, high-ranking representatives, leaders of European institutions, and 400 journalists and media workers arrived in Yerevan to participate in the 8th summit of the European Political Community, which was being held for the first time at the farthest edge of the continent—in the Caucasus. On this occasion, the homeland of the Armenian people, the cradle of civilization, became the beating heart of Europe. As French President Emmanuel Macron declared, a meeting of such magnitude would not have been possible eight years ago, alluding to the changes that have taken place in Armenia since the Velvet Revolution.

The summit was followed by two other important events. The first was the official visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, during which the Armenia-France Strategic Partnership Declaration was signed. The second was the Armenia-European Union summit, which reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the great European family to further strengthening relations with Armenia and supporting Armenia’s sovereignty, resilience, and comprehensive reform agenda.

These historic days in Yerevan elevated Armenia’s standing and strengthened its place among civilized and democratic nations. Armenia demonstrated to the world that it is not constrained by its relations with Russia and will continue to pursue a multi-vector foreign policy guided exclusively by its national interests.

The summit also indirectly became a guarantee that the peace process is irreversible and that Baku cannot ignore the determination of collective Europe. Just as the deployment of the European Union monitoring mission in Armenia was the first step toward restraining Azerbaijan’s militaristic ambitions, so too is the strategic declaration signed between Armenia and Europe another   in that direction.

This summit was not only for the political elite. The guests also had the opportunity to interact with Armenian society, whose members joyfully followed the European leaders strolling through Yerevan’s boulevards late into the evening, welcoming them warmly.

On the other hand, the opposition was in mourning. For them, the very holding of the summit in Armenia was unacceptable, as it caused discomfort in Moscow.

They continue to promote the worn-out notion that Armenia’s fate must remain tied to Putin’s Russia, despite the bitter disappointments our people have experienced in the not-so-distant past, particularly during the 44-day war and later in that country’s tragic role in the depopulation of Artsakh.

Taking advantage of the freedoms they enjoy, opposition groups organized protests and presented demands for the release of prisoners and other issues, despite the fact that just days earlier the European Parliament had sharply criticized Azerbaijan, reaffirmed its support for the rights of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh—including the protection of their identity, property, and cultural heritage—as well as their right to safe, unhindered, and dignified return, while also demanding the immediate release of Armenian prisoners. This position was reaffirmed during the summit as well.

It would have been more appropriate for the opposition to express gratitude to Europeans for their courageous stance. In the opinion of many, these protests should first have been directed at Russia, which has not issued a single pro-Armenian statement in recent years.

Armenia-Europe relations continue to develop steadily, and Armenian society is called upon on June 7 to reaffirm its commitment to protecting the principles of the Velvet Revolution and to building an independent, sovereign, democratic, and more prosperous country for this and future generations.
“MASSIS”

Note: Translated with the assistance of ChatGPT.