A note from the Homeland.

Today, September 27th 2026, marks the sixth anniversary of the start of Azerbaijan and Turkey's war against the Republics of Artsakh and Armenia.

Today, Artsakh is depopulated of its Armenian inhabitants and its cultural and historical heritage is being erased as a result of Azerbaijan's genocidal ethnic cleansing.

Today, a generation of our youngest and brightest lie at the Yerablur Military Pantheon, next to a generation of heroes who liberated Artsakh in the 1990s.

Today, a nation not only mourns the death of over 5,000 soldiers during the 44-day war but also stands at a critical juncture as Azerbaijan continues its daily military aggression against the Armenian nation, the Armenian people and the Armenian diaspora.

Today, I'm in Armenia, taking part in the international meeting of Armenian National Committees from around the world. The work of Hai Tad is more important than ever before in our recent history.

Armenia is being pressured from both Azerbaijan and Turkey to make significant concessions, which places Armenia's statehood at risk. Some see these risks as overexaggerated. Some see Azerbaijan and Turkey, two nations who have committed genocide against our people, as credible partners in peace.

The end of the 44-day war and the Armenian government's significant failure in recognising Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan's territory did not put us on a path to enduring peace. Instead, it allowed Azerbaijan to increase its aggression towards Armenia.
Azerbaijan today occupies over 241 square kilometres of the Republic of Armenia's territory. It has boots on the ground on Armenia's sovereign territory. It has an appetite for more of Armenia.

Azerbaijan today holds at least 20 Armenian hostages illegally in Baku's prisons.

Azerbaijan today declares a significant part of the Republic of Armenia as "Western Azerbaijan" and demands the resettlement of 300,000 Azeris into Armenia's territory.

Azerbaijan today continues to brainwash its people with Armenophobic sentiment.

Azerbaijan today continues the same genocidal policies as their Turkish brothers from 1915.

The world is declaring victory that Armenia and Azerbaijan are finally on the cusp of securing peace.

Peace must be mutual. Peace must be dignified. Peace must be based on justice.

Today, sadly, the Armenian government has removed Armenian Genocide recognition from its policy agenda and even questioned its historical reality. They have walked away from the rights of the citizens of the Republic of Artsakh. 
Azerbaijan deserves condemnation, not appeasement.

The global Hai Tad movement continues to be the only pan-Armenian body which raises critical issues for the Armenian nation in all corners world. It will never cede on this mission. We owe it not only to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, we owe it to the mothers and fathers who will stand at their sons' graves at Yerablur today. We owe it to the future generations who want to live freely and thrive in Armenia and Artsakh.

Our brightest days still lie ahead of us. Collectively, we have a lot of work to do to ensure we see a sunrise across a free Artsakh again.

Vaché H. Kahramanian
Chairman
Armenian National Committee of Australia 

Note: the trip to Armenia was personally paid for.