Against the backdrop of current geopolitical developments, the security threats forming around Armenia are becoming more immediate and extremely dangerous day by day.
The anti-Armenian, belligerent and expansionist statements and actions of the Azerbaijani leadership are getting more and more outrageous and turning into ultimatums. Benefiting from geopolitical instability and having the unconditional and full support of Turkey, Azerbaijan is trying to force Armenia to yield to destructive demands, be it with the consent of the current administration of Armenia or by unleashing a new war.
The authorities of Armenia, in their turn, by terrorizing their own people with the possibility of an impending war and inevitable defeat in that war, have committed themselves to justifying and satisfying the endless demands of the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem. Accordingly, the essence of the supposedly best tactics offered by this regime to avoid war is defeatism and concessions under the pretext of an illusive peace, the “guarantor” of which would actually be the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem.
Have no illusions: a defenseless peace is an illusional security, left to the mercy of the enemy.
A lasting and irreversible peace can only be achieved based on a fair resolution of contentious issues and a political-military balance. Otherwise, it is capitulation and the implantation of a new war.
The historical mission of the Armenian people and its national forces is to get out of the destructive dilemma of capitulation or war and to establish a real, irreversible and just peace. The renunciation of our irrevocable rights and vital interests will not bring peace, but the loss of Armenian identity and statehood.
To avoid further irreversible losses and to overcome the existential challenges facing Armenia, it is imperative to make a breakthrough in the situation, by forming a government of a new quality and establishing a roadmap for the country’s development as a national state.
A radical change in government policy is urgent and must focus on the following priorities:
a) Pan-Armenian mobilization around the agenda of preserving Armenian identity and Armenian statehood. Contributing to the Turkish denial of the Armenian Genocide, inaction to ethnic cleansing and the dispossession of the people of Artsakh constitutes an existential threat to the Armenian identity and the sovereignty of Armenia and validates the precedent of solving conflicts with the use of force.
b) Making a pan-Armenian national priority the urgent reconstruction of the armed forces and defense and security systems, considering current challenges and based on a concept of ensuring popular participation in defense.
(c) Adoption of a foreign policy with a qualitatively different content aimed at the formation of a new security architecture and the restoration of diplomatic positions. This implies strengthening strategic relationships with countries and alliances sharing common geopolitical goals, for which the existence of a viable Armenian state is in their direct interest. To this end, it is necessary to consolidate strategic relations with Russia, sign a political-military alliance with Iran, and develop complementary relations with other centers of power outside the region as well as with the West.
Despite internal and external conspiratorial schemes, the struggle for the dignity and existence of the Armenian people must continue.
We call on all national forces to unite their efforts in removing the anti-national authorities, neutralizing the threats to the Armenian people and our statehood, forming a national government of a new quality, and building a Strong Armenia with pan-Armenian capabilities.
The ARF-Dashnaktsutyun is ready to cooperate with everyone who shares these approaches and is ready to fight for a dignified and safe Armenia and Artsakh.
ARF-Dashnaktsutyun Bureau
January 18, 2025
