Artsakh People are the Owners of Their Destiny

• 07.06.2015, 12:52
• Greta Avetisyan
•  "Insight" Analytical Center ,  NKR,  Analytics

After quite a long pause, people in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic have at last been given an opportunity to be the owners of their destiny, to be the ones, who make decisions in their own land for their own prosperity and well-being. It will soon be 24 years since Artsakh has acquired independence. This was quite a difficult gain, but an important one and had a decisive role in the lives of Artsakh people.

Though during all these years no single person in Artsakh has forgotten the pains, the difficulties through which they have passed, no single person can freely breath considering that there is no danger for his/her life or the lives of their relatives, though the situation no peace, no war still continues, Artsakh as a 23-year-old youth is full of life and a hope for a bright future. This can feel anyone, who visits Artsakh. The country is awesome. People and the nature are so harmonious – peaceful, hospitable and caring. This atmosphere in Artsakh is created due to the fact that now the people there together with their government are the only ones, who decide what to do and how to do in their own independent Republic. If one enumerates only those achievements of NKR during the recent months, it will become obvious that this country runs as a real democratic and an independent one.

To start from the recent one, on July 1 the President of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh Bako Sahakyan received an invitation from Chatham House to participate at a debate on the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, regional security and relations between the various actors on 8 July in London. This news, of course, caused the criticism of Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry expressed its protest against this invitation. In this context it should be mentioned that NKR has recently started to be quite active in strengthening its foreign ties and among them the inter-parliamentary relations with France is noteworthy. In May a cooperation agreement between the French city Sarselle and Martakert was signed as well. It is not only with the on the governmental level that one can notice some activeness. Citizens themselves try to participate in different international events, present Karabakh and be proud of it. The recent such event was in Baku – the First European Games. Two athletes from Karabakh were included in the Armenian delegation and despite many risks and potential danger, they went Baku and participated in the Games.

The internal life is also boosting in Artsakh – from political to cultural one. The recent parliamentary elections were a vivid proof to the fact that with the level of its democracy Karabakh is only not behind, but is ahead of many internationally recognized countries. Free, fair and competitive elections showed once again that elections have become an integral part of the political culture of Artsakh, a tool for deciding the destiny of the country. Of course, this kind of elections would only raise the spirit of Artsakh people and the confidence of the world towards this country. It is not of any surprise, that just several days ago 200 Armenian families from Russia headed by the "Artsakh" Compatriotic Union’s President Varujan Grigoryan arrived in Artsakh in order to spend summer holidays in motherland. This was a real joy both for these families and the Artsakh people. The famous opera singer Lyubov Kazarnovskaya’s visit to Artsakh was another phenomenon. She went to Artsakh not only to admire its beauty, but also to find talents there and to help to open an opera center. Despite the "black list" of Azerbaijan, she for sure said that would come back to Artsakh, a land where one should create.

Strong will, believe, hope for a better future and happier days – this is how people in Artsakh think. Each of them, children and women as well, are real worriers, they know the price of life, they know the price of their land, they know that they can rely only on them and their strength, and when together, they can do even the impossible, as they are the only owners of their destiny. This is the phenomenon of Artsakh and its people…