Armenian MP marks anniversary of 1988 Karabakh vote, calls for ideological resolve

Armenian opposition lawmaker Tigran Abrahamyan on Friday marked the 38th anniversary of a 1988 vote by the Regional Council of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO), which formally requested its transfer from Soviet Azerbaijan to Soviet Armenia.

On February 20, 1988, the extraordinary session of the NKAO Council of People’s Deputies voted 110 to 17 in favor of requesting the transfer of the region to Armenian SSR.

In a social media post, Abrahamyan, secretary of the Pativ Unem faction, stated the decision reflected the will of the Artsakh people to freely determine their future and described the period as one of national revival for Armenians.

“The Armenian people’s resolve and steadfastness enabled us to alter the course of political processes, restore historical justice and defend our violated rights,” Abrahamyan said.

He highlighted that when nations are guided “not by material priorities but by ideological ones, success and victory are guaranteed”, urging Armenians to remain principled in shaping their collective future.