Hundreds of thousands of Armenians took to the streets of Stepanakert in 1988 calling for reunification with Armenia
The Artsakh parliament issued a statement on Friday reaffirming the Artsakh people’s commitment to the principles that guided the movement, which began in February 1988.
Below is the text of the statement.
The developments in Artsakh which took place in February of 1988 fundamentally changed the future historical record of not only the indigenous Armenian people living there, but also of the peoples of the former Soviet Union.
Tens of thousands of people, using the liberal and democratic ideas declared in the USSR, were seeking through peaceful demonstrations in Stepanakert and other cities to restore historic justice: the unrealized dream of several generations to re-unite the Armenian province with Armenia.
From the very beginning, the growing pan-national movement adopted a conduct of solving the issue peacefully through legal and political ways, which received an irreversible confirmation on February 20, during the 20th extraordinary session of the former province’s supreme representative body, the Regional Council of People’s Deputies. The historic decision to withdraw the NKAO from the Azerbaijani SSR and re-unite it with the Armenian SSR signaled the new stage of the Artsakh national liberation struggle: the decisiveness of the people of Artsakh’s to advance the Karabakh movement through a civilized and legal path.
Regrettably, the leadership of the Azerbaijani SSR was incapable of using the exclusive chance of correctly resolving the issue and as a result the region appeared in a chain of lasting instability and Azerbaijan’s temptations to solve the issue militarily.
As a result of the February 20 decision which expressed the will and desire of the absolute majority of the region’s population, Artsakh rightly became the symbol of pride and national awakening for all Armenians. The wave of the Karabakh movement spread worldwide and as a result of the struggle organized by all segments of Armenians the two Armenian republics formed in the beginning of the 90s of the previous century. The Republic of Artsakh, proclaimed on September 2 of 1991 in line with international law and the requirements of national legislation, was a conscious milestone on the path towards a united Armenian state. Our people paid an immeasurably high price in the fight for Artsakh’s freedom and independence. Thousands of our sons sacrificed their lives during the wars of 1991-1994, 2016 and 2020.
Today, the Republic of Artsakh exists and continues its struggle to achieve international recognition thanks to the sacrifices of our brave heroes. We bow before their eternal memory,” reads the statement.
The statement says that during the last 34 years Artsakh passed a long path of establishment and development, victories and failures, and during this period the idea that the Armenian Artsakh’s future is guaranteed only in the prospects of living free and independent was strengthened.
Expressing the collective will and opinion of the people of Artsakh, the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh is reaffirming its dedication to the historic decision of February 20, 1988 and vows decisively to protect its right to live freely on its native land,” said the parliament resolution.
The National Assembly of Artsakh is drawing the attention of international organizations and first of all the parliaments of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries on the fact that the Armenian people of Artsakh for centuries struggled to preserve their identity, created material and cultural values which today are endangered as a result of the Azerbaijani occupation of several territories of the Republic of Artsakh.
We call on the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to take immediate steps to re-launch the negotiations process in the direction of resolving the Karabakh conflict in line with the mandate received from the OSCE. Lasting peace and stability in the region can only be achieved through respecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people of the Republic of Artsakh. For this very goal the Armenians of Artsakh began their liberation struggle in 1988 and stand ready to continue it with decisiveness to reach the final goal.