Under the initiative of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, two online consultation sessions were held on October 12th and 13th, 2023. These sessions involved a group of specialists in history, international law, and political science from Armenia and the diaspora. The purpose was to assess the repercussions of the ethnic cleansing in Artsakh and to establish guidelines for forthcoming efforts.
The first session covered the following topics: regional events and geopolitics; the situation of forcibly displaced Artsakh Armenians and the approaches of various states towards humanitarian assistance; the legal basis for demands concerning the release of prisoners of war and statesmen; the right of return for the people of Artsakh, ensuring their security and protection of their rights; the status of Armenian religious-cultural heritage in Artsakh and combating the falsification of history. The second session focused on exploring potential legal avenues to address the situation.
The third session, scheduled for October 30th, will concentrate on defining the future working methods of the Armenian side, taking into account the latest geopolitical developments.
Following each discussion, His Holiness summarized the proposed action points, which will be further refined through future consultation sessions. The findings will be published, with special emphasis on analytical suggestions outlining a course of action.
Notably, the group of specialists included Ashod Melkonian, Rupen Safrasdian, Armen Maroukian, Vahram Palayan, Vicken Cheterian, Simon Payaslian, Vahram Shammasian, Khatchig Der Ghougasian, Nora Bayrakdarian, Shahan Kandaharian, and Aharon Shekherdemian serving as the secretary.
