ARMENIAN PREMIER, CATHOLICOS CONGRATULATE ARMENIAN CITIZENS ON
REPUBLIC DAY

YEREVAN, May 27. /ARKA/. RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
congratulated Armenia’s citizens on the Day of the Republic. The press
and public relations department, RA Government staff, reports that the
declaration of the Republic of Armenia 87 years ago was a logical
continuation of the Armenian people’s struggle in Sardarapat,
Bash-Aparan, and Karakilis. According to Margarya that crucial event
allowed Armenia to restore its independent statehood that had been
lost many centuries before, opened up new prospects for building up
Armenia’s future and for embarking on the way of harmonious
development with the world.

In his message Margaryan said that all of that was also due to the
Armenia’s people’s national consolidation round the ideas of freedom,
independence and sovereignty. According to him, people should remember
the Armenian home guards, who went through the crucible of the
national-liberation struggle and, waged a mortal combat together with
regular forces, as well as commanders and soldiers, representatives of
political forces and clergymen, who joined the volunteer movement
during World War I. Margaryan pointed out that those lessons were pass
from one generation to another to be made manifest in out time in the
liberation of Shushi, heroic Artskah struggle. “May that unification
be our support in building up our peaceful and safe future, preserving
what has been achieved, constructing our country and strengthening our
independent statehood,” the RA Premier said in his message.

In his message, Catholic of All Armenians Garegin II pointed out that
on May 28 “we mark our people’s sacred and glorious victories in
heroic battles in Sradarapat, Aparan, Vanadzor in 1918.” According to
him, it was a struggle for existence, and by their deeds our people
defended and saved their small homeland and declared the First
Armenian Republic. “It was a struggle for existence and we gained
victory. God wanted the Armenian generation that survived the Genocide
celebrated that victory,” Garegin II said in his message.

On May 26, 1918, after the dissolution of the Transcaucasian Seym and
declaration of independence in Georgia, the regional chapter of the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) “Dashnaktsutyun” delegated the
Armenian National Council in Tiflis with powers and the right to
dictatorship in all spheres of national life. On May 28, the Armenian
National Council declared Armenia’s independence, and on May 29 a
joint meeting of the ARF Western and Eastern Boards appointed the
architect Hovhanes Kajazuni first Prime Minister of independent
Armenia and declared Yerevan Armenia’s capital. The independent
Armenian state existed until December 2, 1920. P.T. -0–