Charity Concert Benefiting Armenian Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh

17 February, 2024

Remarks by Ambassador Andranik Hovhannisyan,

at a Charity concert benefiting Armenian refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh

Conservatoire de musique de Geneve

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honor for the Embassy of Armenia to assume the high patronage of this concert. It is also an honor to deliver opening remarks at a concert dedicated to the support of the Armenian refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. From the outset, I would like to thank the organizers – mission10forty and all those who have contributed to this noble endeavor. Special thanks to pianist Ms. Marianna Shirinyan who will perform today.

We are gathered here with heavy hearts as we think about countless innocent Armenians who were forced to flee in the wake of renewed aggression. In September 2023, when the ceasefire was established after a day of heavy fighting Azerbaijan gave only several days for Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to evacuate, leaving behind their ancestral homes, everything they hold dear, thousands of years of history, their sacred sites, churches and monasteries. People did not even have enough time to bid the last farewell to their loved ones who were perished during the fighting, let alone to gather their belongings. Families torn apart, communities shattered, and lives overturned in an instant - these are the harsh realities faced by those who have been displaced by violence.

The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe recently said that they did not have any other option. Indeed, the alternative was killing, torture and detention that happened to all those Armenians, who have ever come under control of Azerbaijan.

As we stand here today, it is imperative that we reaffirm our commitment to the principles of compassion, solidarity, and humanity. The refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh are not statistics or numbers; they are older persons, mothers, fathers, children - individuals whose lives have been irrevocably changed.

However, if we can make a calculation, then figures also can speak. According to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees there are currently around 136.000 Armenian refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh sheltered in Armenia. There is around equal number of people in the host communities who have extended a helping hand to them in Armenia. In total this makes almost the 10 percent of current population of the Republic of Armenia.

No country can cope with such enormous challenges alone. Even though the Government of Armenia has been praised for its efforts of extending an effective assistance to the refugees, however, in a long-term meeting their most pressing needs will continue to require a solid and persistent international assistance. This means ensuring basic necessities and accommodation, as well as offering psychosocial support to overcome the trauma and loss.

Let us remember that the true measure of our humanity lies in how we treat the most vulnerable among us. This concert is a demonstration of solidarity with the refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, an attempt that can offer them hope and contribute to a brighter future amidst the darkness of displacement and uncertainty.

Thank you.

MFA RA
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