Manvel Grigoryan: “Baku will have to deal with me”
On June 24-26, the Yerkrapah Union of Volunteers (YKM) organized an annual pilgrimage to Tavush Marz.
YKM Chairman, Lieutenant General Manvel Grigoryan, YKM board member, Major General Seyran Saroyan and Chairman of the Oversight Chamber Ishkhan Zakaryan participated in the pilgrimage.
"Each resident in the border villages of Tavush marz is a Yerkrapah (guard of the country)," Manvel Grigoryan said in the village of Berkaber.
"In 1989, you took up arms to defend your lands and your children. You continue the fight till today," he added.
The YKM Chairman also referred to the Karabakh conflict settlement and the recent meeting of Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Kazan. He underlined that the people of Artsakh acquired their right to independence with bloodshed, and no one has the right to challenge that right.
"People convey their ideas through a language; diplomacy is an art of speaking. We long for peace but we are ready to fight. If someone thinks that they can solve the conflict with oil or gas, they are mistaken. I warn them that in that case they will have to deal with me," said Grigoryan.
In the villages of Berkaber, Paravakar, Aygehovit and Barekamavan, the pilgrims met local freedom fighters and parents of perished soldiers. On behalf of the presidents of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, the Union gave awards to the villagers who participated in the war.
Every year, YKM members, volunteers and guests travels to Armenian settlements that became battlefields during the Karabakh war. The pilgrimage usually ends on September 2 - Independence day of Artsakh (Karabakh) Republic.
