On Tuesday evening, October 3rd, 2023, a conference was convened in Ashrafieh, Lebanon, to shed light on the fate of Artsakh and its indigenous people following the ethnic cleansing committed by Azerbaijan. Titled “Lessons Learned from the Fall of Artsakh,” the conference saw participation from representatives of the state, various political parties, organizations, and clergy. With the blessing of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, a delegation from the Cilician Brotherhood participated in the conference.
His Eminence Arch. Gomidas Ohanian delivered a speech, expressing gratitude for the demonstrated solidarity with Artsakh. The remarks from the Cilician Brotherhood were delivered by V. Rev. Fr. Sarkis Aprahamian, who conveyed the deep indignation of the Armenian nation towards the forced deportation in Artsakh and the Pan-Turanistic expansionist policy.
It is noteworthy to highlight the following seven points that emerged from the conference:
1) The attendees expressed full solidarity with the demands of the Armenian people, condemning Azerbaijan’s attack on Artsakh and the forced displacement of Artsakh Armenians from their indigenous homeland.
2) They called upon the Security Council of the United Nations (UN) to convene an urgent session to discuss the status of Artsakh, demanding the safe return of the Artsakh Armenians to their homeland.
3) They called for the establishment of a legal and international lobbying body to address the Artsakh issue and emphasized the need to advocate for appeals to the International Court of Justice and the International Human Rights Council.
4) They urged the Lebanese government to release an official statement concerning Artsakh
5) They called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon to release a statement of condemnation, demanding accountability from the Azerbaijan Ambassador, and handing over a memorandum of condemnation to the Ambassador.
6) They demanded the foreign affairs and human rights committees of the Lebanese Parliament demonstrate a clear position on Artsakh
7) They decided to send special memos about this to the ambassadors of the international and regional superpowers who witnessed and were related to the Artsakh tragedy.
