Armenian opposition figure says nation's setbacks reflect failure to embrace 'historical mission'

Armenian opposition politician Narek Karapetyan said on Saturday that the Armenian people's repeated setbacks stem from a failure to embrace their historical mission, as the Constitutional Court prepared to rule on opposition challenges to the June 7 election results.

Speaking to supporters ahead of the court's expected decision, Karapetyan, a senior member of the Strong Armenia party, outlined its guiding beliefs.

"We believe the Armenian people are not just another nation," Karapetyan said. "We believe that, among the world's nations, Armenians are a chosen people with a historical mission, and we see evidence of that in religious texts."

He argued that Armenia's defeats have resulted from the nation's reluctance to fulfill that mission.

"The Armenian people's setbacks are rooted in their unwillingness to embrace their destiny, choosing instead what appears to be the easier path," he said.

Karapetyan contrasted Armenians with the Jewish people, whom he described as another nation with a historical mission that had accepted its role through self-organization.

"There is another nation in the world that has historically been chosen and entrusted with a mission," he said. "Unlike us, that nation accepted its mission through self-organization rather than turning away from it. Today, it is regarded as controlling 15% of global economic capital and is represented by one of the world's most powerful states," he said, referring to the Jewish people.