ARKADY GHOUKASSIAN: IMPOSED WAR PROVED THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SOLVE NAGORNO KARABAKH PROBLEM BY FORCE

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 11 2006

STEPANAKERT, MAY 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On May 9, a
triple holiday – the Day of Victory in the Great Patriotic War,
liberation of Shoushi and the creation of the NKR Defense Army,
was celebrated in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. In the morning,
the Stepanakert Memorial Complex was visited by NKR President
Arkady Ghoukassian, National Assembly Chairman Ashot Ghoulian,
Prime-Minister Anoushavan Daniyelian, head of the Artsakh Eparchy
of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Pargev Martirossian,
as well as head of the Government of Armenia Andranik Markarian
and RA Defense Minister Serge Sarkssian who had arrived in the NKR
for participation in the events. They laid flowers to the graves of
heroes of the Great Patriotic and Karabakh Wars. A visit to the town
of Shoushi also took place. Columns of the NKR Defense Army subunits
passed in a solemn march in the Stepanakert streets. Meetings with
veterans of the Great Patriotic and Artsakh Wars, concerts and sport
events, expositions of works of art and photos took place all over
the republic. The events ended with a festive firework in the central
republican square of Revival.

On the eve, there took place a solemn sitting dedicated to the 61st
anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, the 14th
anniversary of the liberation of Shoushi and the Day of the NKR
Defense Army. As Noyan Tapan was informed from NKR Foreign Ministry
Information and Analytical Department, in connection with the May 9
holiday, by decrees of the NKR President, the highest title of Nagorno
Karabakh, the “Hero of Artsakh”- is granted to Zhora Gasparian, Vahagn
Vardevanian (posthumously) and Arshavir Garamian together with handing
the order of “Gold Eagle”. 1 man is awarded with the “Battle Cross”
Order of the 1st level, 2 men – with the “Battle Cross” Order of the
2nd level, 346 people – with “For Battle Service” Medal (4 of them
posthumously), 150 people are awarded with “For Courage” Medal (38 of
them posthumously) and 24 people – with “For Liberation of Shoushi”
Medal (1 man posthumously). For active state and social-political
activity 5 people are awarded with “Mkhitar Gosh” Medal, 2 – with
“Vachagan Barepasht” Medal, and one man – with “Gratitude” Medal. First
Deputy of the Director of the NKR National Security Service Victor
Kocharian is awarded the title of General-Mayor. RA Prime-Minister
Andranik Markarian and RA Defense Minister Serge Sarkssian are
awarded with the Medal of the NKR Azatamartiks Union. “The imposed
war proved that it is impossible to solve the Nagorno Karabakh problem
by force. Surely, we defended our land, we won the war, but still we
can’t say that the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples are happy today. It
means that the issue must be solved in the political plane and it
has no other alternative. Our overall goal is the inadmissibility
of the resumption of military activities. At the same time, for
preventing the war we must be ready for it”, NKR President Arkady
Ghoukassian stated in the course of the festive events. “Speaking
on the problem of reconstruction of the town of Shoushi, Arkady
Ghoukassian stressed: “We have to reconstruct Shoushi, and if the
city was liberated mainly by Karabakh people, its reconstruction
is the goal of the whole nation. I am sure that we’ll solve that
issue”. “The liberation of Shoushi was not only the liberation of
the city itself, but a victory of the whole Armenian people as we
demonstrated that we depend on nobody. Our main weapon is our land,
our ancestors, our national education. I want to express my gratitude
to the Artsakh people- through you we managed to demonstrate to the
whole world that the Armenian soul is alive and that in spite of every
difficulty we achieved our aims”, Prime-Minister of the Republic of
Armenia Andranik Markarian stated. According to him, the whole people
of Artsakh, young and old, took part in the victory and Armenia and
the Dispaora only contributed to it assisting to solve not only the
Karabakh issue but the issues of the whole people, whole nation.