13:16,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh is facing very serious changes as it did in 1988, when the movement began, ex-State Minister Ruben Vardanyan said at the Imperative of International Recognition of Artsakh seminar in Yerevan through video call from Stepanakert.

Vardanyan said that independence first of all comes from the desire of the people and not from international organizations.

“I’ve been in Artsakh for the past six months and I can say for sure that this is how the majority of Artsakhians think, they can’t picture themselves in any option other than being independent. At the same time, we have a problem, people lost their faith in themselves, faith for justice, leadership and the future. It is very difficult to struggle if you don’t have faith,” Vardanyan said.

Today, Artsakh is facing very serious changes as it did in 1988, when the movement began, Vardanyan said.

“We weren’t only discussing the issue of the independence of Artsakh, we were discussing our values, our principles, what we were ready for and what not. It so happened that we have an independent Armenia, a Diaspora, we have 120,000 Armenians living in Artsakh, who want to join Armenia, but at the same time we have an objective that in this situation the first step we must do is to bring the path of Artsakh’s independence and self-determination to its rightful completion,” Vardanyan said.

He said they will overcome the hardships only when this will be the priority for everyone, every day. “And having gone through these six months, having gained this experience, on one hand I am sure that we have substantial grounds that Artsakh will remain Armenian, Artsakh will remain independent and Artsakh will not be surrendered,” he said.