Nubar Vardanyan: It is Artsakh Armenians who must decide what status they would like to live in

The goal of the Dutch Armenians is to show Europe that Armenians have not accepted the current situation, Nubar Vardanyan, Representative of the “Europeans for Artsakh” initiative, told Alpha News.

“The Netherlands joined the ‘Europeans for Artsakh’ movement in September last year. On October 1, 2023, a lot of work had already been done to organize a demonstration of 100 thousand people in the European capital, Brussels. Our goal was to exert pressure and show Europeans that Armenians have not resigned themselves to the current situation and that we are ready to fight, raise our voice and demand the protection of the rights of the people of Artsakh,” Nubar Vardanyan said.

He noted that they are fighting for something else, and the statements of the Armenian authorities and the recognition of Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan cause contradictions among Europeans.

“We were constantly asked: if the Armenian authorities agree and recognize Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan, then why are you making new claims? We tried to explain that even if the Armenian authorities express themselves this way, this does not reflect the point of view of the Armenians and the entire Armenian people. We had many discussions and came to the important decision that the Netherlands should also be part of this platform. A large and successful demonstration in support of our compatriots was organized in October, with thousands of people participating. It was decided to continue work because we did not accept the current situation and the fact that we had finally lost Artsakh. If today it seems that Armenians are tired and do not continue the struggle, then our work and our actions show just the opposite,” our interlocutor emphasized.

Vardanyan stressed that it is the people of Artsakh who must decide what status they would like to live in.

“A few days ago, the French Senate adopted a resolution that included a lot of key points. One of [the points] is that the Armenians of Artsakh should return to Artsakh. We second that. Our goal is that Artsakh people have the right to return to Artsakh. Artsakh Armenians must decide in what format and status they want to live in Artsakh. We believe in this struggle and in the return of the people of Artsakh, but we need to work in this direction; otherwise, nothing will be achieved. We had various discussions with members of the European Parliament and with Dutch MPs, and after explaining the situation, we see changes in their views.

It should also be noted that a few days ago, one of the MPs spoke out that the European Union should reconsider the gas agreement with Azerbaijan because if Azerbaijan does not respect the rights of minorities and other peoples and the sovereignty of Armenia, Europe should not trade with it. Such statements and discussions are important for us,” Nubar Vardanyan concluded.