Opposition victory on June 7 is crucial for Armenia’s security, says Murad Papazyan

The Armenian Diaspora is part of the Armenian nation. The nation is a key concept that must be developed, as it is the foundation of the Armenian people’s strength. The Armenian nation unites the forces of the Diaspora and Armenia. This was stated by Murad Papazyan, co-chair of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France, in comments to Alpha News on the goals of the “Mobilization of the Armenian Diaspora” conference, which recently took place in Paris.

“The Diaspora today operates in an organized manner across 30 countries and, thanks to its connections and reputation, has always been an important asset for Armenia. When we managed to establish cooperation, we achieved victories, for example, the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in approximately fifteen countries between 1998 and 2008. But after Pashinyan came to power in 2018, that cooperation came to an end: he attempted to create ‘his own diaspora’ under government control. This bred hostility, and there have been no joint victories since. Today we have serious disagreements with his regime over the recognition of the Genocide, the release of hostages in Baku, and Artsakh, which he considers a ‘closed matter.’ The Diaspora fundamentally disagrees: we continue to fight for the recognition of the Genocide, for Artsakh, for the right of Armenians to return, and for the release of hostages. We are convinced that the current regime does not protect Armenia’s interests, but instead makes concessions to Aliyev and Erdogan. This must be brought to an end. The only path forward is his defeat in the June 7 elections. We must be cautious: he claims that if he loses, war will break out. But it was precisely after he came to power in 2018 that we experienced three wars, whereas from 1994 to 2018 there were none. That is our position: without cooperation there is no progress, but together we always prevail,” Papazyan said.

According to him, Pashinyan himself is provoking war, and Armenia’s enemies are well aware that his regime will offer no resistance.

“It is perfectly clear that there will be no war now, because he is ready to give up everything. He is ready to abandon the recognition of the Genocide. He is ready to surrender. He has stated that we are withdrawing our complaints from international tribunals. He is ready to abandon the Diaspora. He is ready to give up everything. That is why Armenia needs a new government, one that will rebuild the country. Today, Azerbaijan and Turkey have found in Pashinyan a submissive leader. He answers to Aliyev and Erdogan. The very notion that Azerbaijan is a guarantor of security, as Alen Simonyan has claimed, is absurd. This stems from the fact that the Prime Minister of Armenia is subordinate to Aliyev and Erdogan. That is why he says Azerbaijan is Armenia’s security guarantor, as though Baku were Armenia’s leader today. The meeting organized in Paris, which brought together 150 representatives from 25 countries, is of tremendous importance, as it aims to structure the functioning of the Diaspora and shape its future. Those who attended cannot imagine a Diaspora cut off from Armenia, just as they cannot imagine Armenia cut off from the Diaspora. It makes no sense. We must therefore create the conditions for the reunification of the Armenian world, the Diaspora, Armenia, and Artsakh, and their shared path forward. But there is one condition for this: the opposition’s victory on June 7. This matters for the country’s security and the cohesion of the Armenian nation. It matters for the concept of nationhood, which is our strength, to truly take shape,” Papazyan stated.