Indeed, the peoples and states of Europe and the Middle East who have signed the Treaty of Sevres can celebrate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. After all, this global catastrophe destroyed millions of lives and ruined many settlements in Europe and the Middle East, all at the cost of 1.5 million Armenians’ lives and the destruction of both Western Armenia and Cilicia. The Armenian soldiers and officers, both regular army and volunteer forces, played a crucial role in the end of the war, fighting courageously on both the Western and Eastern fronts.
It is a fact the festive mood of the 100th anniversary of this remarkable event is masking the ongoing problems of new crimes, armed conflicts and humanity chaos in the Middle East.
What is the reason? After all, the final document of the World War I, the Peace Treaty of Sevres, is a peace treaty. The agreement guarantees a lasting peace in the region. Why has that not happened?
It must not be forgotten that still, 100 years after the end of the war, one important point of the agreement has not been implemented, including the Treaty of Sevres Peace and the Arbitral Award of 28th President of the USA Woodrow Wilson. This continuously ignores the rights already promised to other indigenous peoples of the Middle East, Kurds, Greeks, Assyrians.
Because of the great mistake made of keeping hostage countries for generations in the host state, conflicts, confrontation, war and chaos has broken out regularly during each generation, such as in the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Caucasus.
We agree with the conclusions presented by the General of the US Senate at the General Staff, «It is preferable to spend millions on care taking rather than billionaires for future wars».
The staggering reality of the present is that in Europe and the Middle East, no state and people will remain indifferent to the present and future threats if the path to peaceful settlement of existing problems and threats and the establishment of peoples’ rights will not be eliminated.
To establish lasting peace and real cooperation between peoples and states in the Middle East, we must finally implement and put into action all the decisions that were made in 1920 by the Paris Conference, including the rights of the Armenian people.
Radik Khamoyan
President of the Republic of Western Armenia (Armenia)
11.11.2018
