With a strategic priority of strengthening Armenia’s statehood and security, newly-elected members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau held a press conference at the party’s “Kristapor Mikaelian” center in Yerevan on Monday to outline the party’s goals and objective following the 35th ARF World Congress that concluded last week.
Speaking to the press were the ARF’s new Bureau chair, Armen Rustamyan, as well as newly-elected members Lilit Galstyan and Hagop Pakradouni. With her election, Galstyan became the first female to server on the ARF’s highest executive body.
The focus of ARF’s strategy was said to include the imperative to be open and work with all powers to ensure Armenia’s security and defense. The Bureau members underscored that the party believes the only way to salvation of the Armenian Nation is through regime change in Armenia.
“The situation in the world has changed and this gives us the opportunity to work with superpowers in a complementary manner and protect our interests,” Rustamyan said.
“This is a clear agenda, and around this clear agenda, the ARF expresses its readiness to cooperate, already at the level of our highest assembly, with all those forces that share this agenda and are ready to implement a change of power as a necessary condition, so that it is possible to change this anti-national course,” he added.
As part of its strategy, Rustamyan said that Armenia must change its foreign policy and not lose its allies, but rather create new alliances.
“Instead of increasing the number of our allies, we are turning our existing allied into enemies,” Rustamyan declared.
“We believe that we must, first of all, reinforce our allied, strategic relations with Russia, for which there is a legal framework. A military-political alliance with Iran should be immediately concluded with the logic that an attack on one country would mean an attack on the other as well,” Rustamyan emphasized.
He pointed to Iran’s strong opposition to Baku’s demands for an a so-called land “corridor” to Nakhichevan that would pass through the sole Armenian region bordering Iran.
“It’s no secret to anyone that on the question of the so-called ‘Zangezur corridor’ Iran takes the clearest position which reflects our national interests much more than what our authorities do,” Rustamyan said. “So we should enable Iran to also have legal-political grounds to fully fulfill its commitments in defense of our vital national interests.”
He said that Armenia’s current policies are being dictated by Turkey and warned that if such approaches continue, the Turkey-Azerbaijan axis will have an upper hand not only in the region, but in how Armenia is governed.
On the Artsakh issue, the Bureau members emphasized that importance of ensuring the Artsakh Armenians’ right to return to their homeland. As outlined by an announcement https://asbarez.com/arf-35th-world-congress-announcement/ that was issued on Monday after the conclusion of the ARF World Congress, working with international bodies, and through diplomacy, the Artsakh Armenians’ inalienable rights should be preserved.
Rustamyan also touched on the current sham trials of Artsakh leaders, who were taken captive following Azerbaijan’s hostile attack on Artsakh in September, 2023 that forced the displacement of Artsakh Armenians.
One of the leaders currently being held captive and part of the sham trial is Artsakh’s Parliament Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan, who served on the outgoing ARF Bureau. Rustamyan announced that the World Congress unanimously voted to have Ishkhanyan remain a member of the ARF Bureau.
He explained that based on their information, Ishkhanyan is suffering from poor health.
Rustamyan vowed that the ARF and its affiliates are working around the clock to secure the release of Armenian hostages and prisoners of war, explaining that several committees are already working in various parts of the world to ensure this outcome.
