"The Karabakh movement should have been transformed in a certain stage of history". Serzh Sargsyan's message on the 30th Anniversary of the Karabakh Movement

President Serzh Sargsyan sent a message on the occasion of the Artsakh Revival Day and the 30th anniversary of the Karabakh Movement. This is reported by the Department of Public Relations and Media of the Presidential Administration.

The President's message says: "Dear Compatriots!

On 20 February 1988, the extraordinary session of the Nagorno Karabakh Council adopted a resolution expressing the will of the Artsakh people for free self-determination. Three decades ago all Armenians joined the fair demand and struggle of Artsakh. Today we celebrate 30th anniversary of the event, which the Artsakh Republic has rightfully proclaimed as the day of Artsakh’s Revival.

Moreover, it became the day of revival of the Armenian people. Monte said right, that if we were to lose Artsakh, we would have turned the last page of Armenian history.

February 20, 1988 was the moment of unity, determination and national awakening of the Armenian people.

Azerbaijan responded to the peaceful and legal steps of our people with the massacres organized in Sumgait and other places. Those days it became clear that the people of Artsakh were convicted to physical extermination or victory.

We were imposed to war. The warlords were convinced that they had a great advantage and by destroying Armenians and depopulating Artsakh, the Karabakh issue would close quickly and forever. From the distance of three decades now we can confidently say that the Karabakh Movement has saved hundreds thousands of lives.

The Armenians of Artsakh, having the back of the whole Armenian nation, managed to get out from that severe trial with honor. Today, those who call us enemies blame us in everything, but the only fault of the people of Artsakh is that they haven’t lost and haven’t been exterminated in that war.

Dear Compatriots!

The Karabakh movement should have been transformed in a certain stage of history. With the proclamation of the statehood, the movement did not shrink, but became a state policy. The crown of the nationwide outburst and awakening are our two Armenian states.

We celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Karabakh movement by listening to the same threats, the same threats, we listened to 30 years ago. The anti-Armenian propaganda continues for 30 years. It seems that nothing has changed. But we have changed. Free Artsakh, which broke down the Azerbaijani yoke for 30 years, is developing with a rapid pace economically, politically or culturally.

In our public consciousness there may be a justified perception that what is done is not enough. Therefore, we must constantly raise the bar of our requirements and expectations.

As a nation and a state, we still have much to do. There is a great deal of work in all the fields, but what we have done together over the past 30 years, sometimes in the most difficult circumstances, is not really little. Obviously, this is probably the most important thirty-year Armenian history of the last centuries. We will do much more and we will again consider that it is little.

Release does not have an excuse, and freedom has no alternative. In the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh, we are building modern and democratic states. We absolutely respect fundamental human rights, since freedom and human dignity are absolute values for the entire Armenian people.

Cheers to the Republic of Armenia!

Cheers to the Birth of Karabakh Movement Republic of Artsakh!

Cheers to the Leaders of the Karabakh Movement!