The 50th Australian Regional Convention of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation declared its unequivocal support for the rights to self-determination of the citizens of the Republic of Artsakh.

The peak meeting that decides the agenda of the largest political organisation in the Armenian-Australian community convened its activities on Friday 24th February 2023, with 40 delegates and guests, including visiting member of the ARF Bureau, Khajag Mgrditchian.

After hearing the latest report presented by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Artsakh in Australia, Kaylar Michaelian, the ARF-AU Regional Convention decided to make Artsakh and the rights of the indigenous Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh central to all its decision-making as it sets an agenda and elects a new Central Committee for the forthcoming two years.

The Republic of Artsakh has been under blockade from Armenia and the outside world for over 3 months, compounding the self-determined nation’s heroic people’s recent suffering which began with the September 2020 invasion and brutal 44-days of war crimes perpetrated by the Armenophobic regime of Azerbaijan’s dictator, Ilham Aliyev.

Subsequently, many in the international community have succeeded in pressuring the Armenian Government to distance themselves from the responsibility of defending their compatriots in Artsakh as they pursue false promises of peace for concessions dictated by Baku.

The 50th Australian Convention of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation rejects any attempts to walk away from the Armenians of Artsakh, their rightful claims to the territory of our ancestors and their rights to self-determination as exercised in the September 1991 referendum.

The ARF-AU will cooperate only with those in Armenian polity and the diaspora who share the Regional Convention’s unwavering commitment to Artsakh and an Armenia that includes all Armenian lands, from Shushi to Van, from Hadrut to Ani.

Our organisation’s activities will be guided by this founding commitment for the forthcoming two years, as will the activities of our youth, political, humanitarian, sporting, cultural and educational establishments and sister organisations.

ARF-AU 50th Regional Convention
Sydney 26/02/2023