Catholicos Aram I Says White House Agreement Should be Approved by Citizens
Aram I, the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia insisted Sunday that an agreement signed between Yerevan and Baku at the White House earlier this month must be presented to the people of Armenia, who should have a substantive say on the matter.
“The Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement, recently signed in the U.S. capital, with the mediation and witnessing by the U.S. President, was undoubtedly a unique phenomenon. We will leave it to political analysts to evaluate the short-term or long-term, positive or negative consequences of the aforementioned agreement for Armenia,” Aram I said.
“However, I would like to remind that Armenia must consider that any peace agreement, replete with unilateral concessions, conditional principles, and especially equivocal points, can become a serious danger for Armenia. Therefore, the aforementioned agreement must be presented to the people with a substantive approach,” the Catholicos explained.
“It is necessary that the people have something to say in connection the agreement. I would like to remind that today Armenia is at risk of becoming a theater stage for a clash of geopolitical forces,” said Aram I.
He warned, however, that the peace agreement signed in Washington on August 8, “amid a shower of smiles and promises will bring hope and smiles to the families of the casualties and the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), but history reminds that one should not be guided by temporary interests and that Armenia should pursue a balanced policy based on its own interests.”
The Catholicos also advocated for the released Armenian prisoners being held captive in Azerbaijan, and commented on the anti-Armenian policy pursued by Azerbaijan in Artsakh.
“Artsakh is not a thing of the past, and one must pursue the inviolable right of the people of Artsakh to return to their homeland, and the need for international legal mechanisms for the protection of churches and religious sites in Artsakh,” Aram I emphasized.
