The RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed a message to the participants of the conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Sevres. The message says:
"Dear compatriots,
I salute all the participants of the conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Sèvres. I express my deep gratitude for initiating this important event.
The Treaty of Sevres has has a significant place in the modern history of the Armenian people. It is not by chance that it continues to be the subject of scientific research and analysis. Therefore, it is very important that our scientists' impartial analysis of this document, signed a century ago, and the events that preceded and folloed it, will be available to both our people and the wider international community.
Today's conference serves that very purpose, and I wish success to its work, wishing everyone fruitful discussions and new discoveries.
The Treaty of Sevres is a historical fact. It remains so to this day. What is the importance of this document for the Armenian people? Why is it still in the center of our attention?
First, the Treaty of Sevres was based on the aftermath of World War I, one of the most dramatic pages in human history, almost two years after its end. Just as the Treaty of Versailles established peace in Europe, so the Treaty of Sevres was established it in the Western Asia, former territories of the Ottoman Empire.
It put an end to the suffering and deprivation of the peoples of the region because of the war. It signaled the end of the "cursed years."
Like the Treaty of Versailles in Europe, the Treaty of Sevres formed a new system of interstate relations in the region. It introduced new principles and values, not only for peace but also for justice in Western Asia.
The Treaty was based on the most advanced ideas of the time. The key there was the principle of self-determination and equality of nations. It put an end to the centuries-old slavery imposed by empires, giving freedom and independence to the peoples of the region.
Moreover, by granting the right to establish nation-states in historical territories, it created favorable conditions for the further coexistence of the Muslim and Christian peoples, peaceful coexistence, the preservation of the region's civilizational diversity.
Second, the Treaty of Sevres is the international document that recognized and enshrined Armenia's independence. The Republic of Armenia acted as an equal party to that document.
Centuries after the loss of independence, the Armenian authorities for the first time signed an international treaty with the great powers of the world. The Republic of Armenia was recognized as a full member of international relations and an equal subject of international law within the limits specified in the agreement.
By being a party to the treaty, the partes recognized the contribution of Armenia and the Armenian people to the victory of the Allies in World War I and the establishment of peace. It was emphasized and appreciated the role of the Armenian people in international relations and in the post-war world governance.
Third, the Treaty of Sevres, in its Article 89, established the indisputable historical connection of the Armenian people with the Armenian Highlands, where the Armenian people had been born, lived, created statehood and culture for millennia.
And finally, theTreaty of Sevres was signed in the period following the years of the Armenian Genocide, when the Ottoman Empire was trying to resolve the "Armenian question" by annihilating the Armenian people. The Armenian people were subjected to the most cruel and inhuman suffering. The losses he suffered were enormous. Meanwhile, the Treaty of Sevres paved the way for overcoming the consequences of the genocide.
The "Armenian question" was justly resolved in the historical cradle of the Armenian people through the creation of an independent state. The Historical justice was being restored. Favorable conditions were created for the restoration of our people's economic and demographic potential, for its normal development and progress.
Although the Treaty of Sevres was never implemented, it continues to exist as a historical fact that reflects our path to the restoration of an independent state. It is our duty to remember it, to perceive it properly, to keep its advice”.
