"In the Armenian reality, the perception of the return of "Azerbaijani refugees" and the issues of "Western Azerbaijan" is Erroneous, there is no risk assessment, there is no countermeasure." "Morning"

The interlocutor of "Aravot" is Mariam Avagyan, the coordinator of the assembly of refugees from the Azerbaijan SSR.

"Ms. Avagyan, June 20 was International Refugee Day. After the forced deportation from Artsakh, the number of Armenian refugees increased, what is our situation in this area?"

"The refugee phenomenon constantly reveals the existential problem of Armenians, the drive and aspiration of Armenians to live and create on their living space, the potential of Armenian statehood as a unique tool for protecting and perpetuating the living space of Armenia. Yes, the process of formation of Armenian refugees and its further protection are the evidence and important criteria of the establishment of Armenian statehood. The fact of Artsakh Armenians becoming refugees starting from September 27, 2020, being surrounded by the entire Artsakh Republic and facing the Armenians in the course of another genocide revealed the reality of the absence of Armenian state thinking for the last 30 years, the hopeless and inept state of its military-political approaches.

Post-war Armenia, when the 1988-1992 conflict has not yet been resolved. The issue of housing for Armenian refugees from the Azerbaijan SSR today faced the problem of providing housing to around 120,000 Artsakh Armenians, and not only that. Yes, the problem of "solving" the problems of the Armenian refugees, being the best source of ensuring the own well-being of the internal oppressors, has blocked the problem of solving the housing problems of the Armenian refugees from the Azerbaijan SSR. And not a single "velvet" even touched on that question, because the chain of in-law-acquaintance-friend remains one of the best pillars of corruption and it is strengthening and extending even today. Since it was declared at the state level before the complete depopulation of Artsakh that the issue of refugees is not a part of state policy, it is obvious that even today the issue of refugees has not entered the domain of state policy. The decisions that are taken in various ways in the government to support the Artsakh Armenians, become the cause of misreadings, suspicions, cause mistrust and new gaps, divide Armenians into parts, and give way to an anti-Armenian hybrid war. And in the absence of a developed state strategy, it is easy to promote the anti-Armenian hybrid war, and this is because the more bad it is for the country, the more beneficial and fertile environment it is for those conducting that war."

Today, the issue of housing is a key issue for Artsakh Armenians, but only Artsakh Armenians who have acquired RA citizenship have the opportunity to purchase an apartment under the program proposed by the Deputy Prime Minister. And again, multi-layered and misunderstood questions, starting with replacing one passport of an RA citizen with another equivalent passport, where the code of the Republic of Artsakh is already missing. And what risks are they accumulating to explode one day against the Armenians, is it not a trick to put the Artsakh issue into final oblivion?

And if the Artsakh Armenian does not change the passport with the Artsakh code, then what awaits, the same 30-year process that degrades the dignity of the Armenian man and the Armenian family? Today, the Armenian statehood must overcome the humiliating and destructive legacy of the previous 30 years against the refugees, if not, then the existential hole will no longer be overcome, and this is a threat to the Armenian statehood."

"You rightly noticed that the issues of Armenian refugees are not raised properly by the RA authorities, for example, what work is being done on the issue of forcibly displaced refugees from Artsakh in international courts, what information do you have? Against this background, we see that Azerbaijan is putting forward false theses in this field, raising the issue of the return of the so-called "Azerbaijani refugees".

"The issue of refugees from the Republic of Artsakh should become a means of curbing the ongoing genocide against Armenians in international courts. It seems that we have been accustomed to genocide, and we are not building a resistance system to prevent it. The issue of Artsakh Armenian refugees is, first of all, a resistance system to suppress the genocide, the requirements for its formation are:

- Recognition of the ongoing genocide against Artsakh and adoption of a legislative act, fixing the issue of the return of Artsakh Armenians in international courts for its suspension.

- Provision of refugee status and its certificate to around 120,000 refugees.

- Demand for the restoration of the Minsk Group's activity and steps aimed at strengthening it.

It is obvious that such actions require a flexible, purposeful and far-sighted foreign policy, but here too the inertia of 30 years of heritage is evident, an absolute lack of initiative and a passive attitude, only a lazy and barren counter reaction to this or that anti-Armenian reality, including the embassies operating outside the country". 

Full interview at the source site