ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSIAN CONGRATULATES ON DAY OF REPUBLIC

ARMENPRESS
May 28, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 28, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsian
congratulated Armenians on the Day of Republic. Presidential press
service told Armenpress that in his message the president particularly
said, "Dear compatriots, I warmly congratulate you on the Day of
Republic.

Ninety years ago, on this day, the ancient-long dream of our people
became a reality – the independent Armenian Statehood was restored. It
was achieved by our century-long fight, struggle of brave sons of our
nation, courage displayed at Sardarapat, Bash-Aparan and Karakilisa
battles.

Today each of us, both in the Motherland and Diaspora remembers
the sons who beat the enemy and granted the people the long-awaited
independence and with their courage registered name ‘Armenia’ on the
political map of the world. Independence is never achieved easily,
victories do not fall from above, people reach them suffering great
losses, when the demand of independence and freedom takes them on
the path of struggle for life and death.

The two and half years of the existence of the First Armenian
Republic included in itself enthusiasm and pain, achievements and
painful losses. In our collective memory they stamped three historic
and always contemporary lessons: the first one is the importance of
national unity. The birth of our statehood nine decades ago was the
result of joint national will. Unity, the absence of which became
one of the basic reasons of the collapse of the First Republic of
Armenia. Today we do not have right to be separate. More then ever
we must preserve and brightly keep the spirit of unity of 1918.

The second one is the realization of irreplaceability of our
statehood. There is no establishment which may replace the statehood,
there is no ideology which may be higher of the interests of the
state. If our country is weakening, neither of us is becoming stronger,
neither of us benefits. We all lose.

The third one is the trust of confronting challenges with own
strength. No one instead of us may solve the issues our country
is facing, no one can protect us, develop our economy, no one can
consolidate democracy and make Armenia a progressive state. It is we
who must do it. We must do it not for surprising or pleasing anyone
but for us. The history has proved that no one is more interested in
the further raise of Armenia then we do – the citizens of the Republic
of Armenia.

Today we enter period of new changes and the coming years will
be registered in our history as really important round. We must
consolidate our country and improve our life, have continuative
development which will refer to all the spheres – politics, economy,
culture and science. I am sure that the results will not make us wait
long, they will be noticeable for all in the near future.

Our country will have a brilliant future but not only the authorities
can be responsible for the erection of the next day. Each son and
daughter of our people has a work to do. It is a great honor to
be citizen of the Republic of Armenia, and lofty mission to serve
our people.

On this holiday I wish you success and high mood."