The speech of the Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan at the meeting of the Committee of Secretaries of the CSTO Security Councils

29 / 04 / 2021

Today, the Secretary of Security Council of the Republic of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, addressed the Committee of Secretaries of the CSTO Security Councils in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

The speech focused on the security challenges and threats faced by the CSTO member states and the measures to neutralize them.

Within the context of security challenges and threats, Secretary Grigoryan drew attention to the situation in the South Caucasus and emphasized that it remains tense due to the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan and Turkey against Artsakh on the September 27th of the last year.

The Secretary of the Security Council also underscored that the Second Artsakh War illustrated that the Nagorno Karabakh could never be part of Azerbaijan under any circumstances.
In his speech, Armen Grigoryan also discussed issues surrounding Armenian prisoners of war. He talked about the so-called "trophy park" as a manifestation of fascism. Secretary Grigoryan also emphasized the importance of taking all the necessary measures by the CSTO to return the POWs.


The full Armenian version of the speech is available here.


Dear Chairman,
Dear Colleagues,

I greet you and wish us a productive session.

I would like to sincerely thank the hosting party, our Tajik friends, for their warm reception.

Generally, during a narrow-format session, we traditionally examine the security challenges and threats faced by the CSTO member states and the measures to neutralize them. Subsequently, I would like to discuss the situation in the South Caucasus.

The Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem that unleashed the last karabakh war took thousands of lives and aimed at the complete physical destruction of the Armenians of Artsakh.
I intentionally called this tandem Turkish-Azerbaijani, and not Azerbaijani-Turkish. I mention Turkey in the first place since the Turkish military instructors, Turkish special forces, terrorist mercenaries recruited by Turkey extensively participated in this war and continue to remain in the region. Turkey has also provided Azerbaijan with political support on international platforms.

The return of captured Armenian soldiers and other persons kept by Azerbaijan is continuously the center of our attention. This issue, today, is of paramount importance for us. Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani side continues to manipulate this issue and hinders their release by introducing unreasonable arguments and creating a deadlock. All possible efforts should be taken to solve this issue promptly, and I expect your assistance and support in this regard.

As you know, the cessation of hostilities in the Karabakh conflict zone and the establishment of a ceasefire were possible due to the efforts of the Russian side. Russian President Vladimir Putin's attempts were instrumental.

We believe that, at this stage, the long-term presence of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh must be ensured. This arrangement guarantees peace in Nagorno Karabakh and the security of the Armenian population.

Last year's war clearly demonstrated that the Nagorno-Karabakh can never be a part of Azerbaijan. We believe that in the current situation, the principle of "remedial secession" should apply to Artsakh, which is, in fact, a modern manifestation of the principle of self-determination. It permits ethnic groups’ separation from any state where there is discrimination, gross violations of human rights or risks of genocide, and also prohibits them from joining such states. The principle of "remedial secession" should constitute the conceptual basis for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This conflict would not be considered settled until the status of Artsakh is resolved.

President Aliyev continues to impudently declare that the Azerbaijani side considers those Armenians residing in Nagorno Karabakh as its citizens. These claims couldn’t be further from the truth since no state would destroy, bomb of attack the civilian population if it considers them as its citizens.

Let me bring another shocking example! On April 12th of this year, the President of Azerbaijan participated in the opening of a so-called "trophy Park" dedicated to the Artsakh war in Baku. There were Armenian military equipment, mannequins of Armenian soldiers, personal belongings, and helmets of killed Armenian servicemen on display.
The so-called park's opening ceremony and the speech of the President of Azerbaijan’s also illustrated Azerbaijan’s intention to publicly humiliate the memory of the victims of the war, the missing, and the prisoners of the war. I think that the published footage is disgusting, distorted, and incompatible with a healthy mindset and will leave a heavy mark on the psyche of any ordinary person. If we call things by their name, then the very idea of creating such a "park" is a manifestation of real fascism.

Dear colleagues,

Our fathers and grandfathers defeated fascism 75 years ago. I think that we, as their descendants, must prevent the resurgence of manifestations of fascism mentioned above.

It is obvious that such false nationalistic performances are aimed at reinforcing the image of Armenians as sworn enemies in the consciousness of the Azerbaijani people. These actions certainly will not contribute to the establishment of lasting peace in the region. I think that the CSTO must offer a proper assessment regarding the so-called park.

Dear colleagues,

Furthermore, last week, the President of Azerbaijan proclaimed that if Armenia does not provide Azerbaijan with a corridor to Nakhichevan through the Syunik region, Azerbaijan will resort to force. This is nothing but a direct threat to the territorial integrity of a CSTO member state. Such demarches should not be ignored, especially given the belligerent desires of the President of Azerbaijan. I think that our organization should take a clear stance on any encroachment on the territorial integrity of each CSTO member state.

Dear colleagues,

Our today's session is taking place during difficult times. The coronavirus epidemic is raging globally, the hotbeds of instability are expanding, conflicts are intensifying, and the world economy is facing challenging times. All these, inevitably, affect the CSTO area of responsibility. In order to overcome the existing challenges and threats, we must assume a united, systematic approach, and a tactful and attentive attitude to each other’s problems. This will be the guarantor of our common success, as well as the achievement of goals aimed at ensuring our states’ security.

Thank you for your attention!