PRESIDENT SARGSYAN, DURING INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH, CALLS ON DIASPORA TO "COME HOME"

2009 /09/22 | 13:22

Politics

During his speech yesterday to mark the 18 anniversary of Armenian
independence, President Serzh Sargsyan made a special appeal to
Armenians living in the diaspora to come "home to Armenia".

"What does Armenia preach to its offspring all over the world after
having been resurrected from the genocidal hell? Pure and simple
concepts: unity, collective will and effort. The state’s determination
to pursue and protect the interests and goals of Armenians, filial
love of and dedication to the homeland of all Armenians, and a happy
possibility to build up the Armenia of our dreams by joint efforts. And
Armenia says to them – Welcome back to the native home."

It appeared that President Sargsyan went out of his way to strees the
fact that Armenians the world, as members of the same nation, were
always embued with a vision of an independent Armenia. Consequently,
he stated all have something to contribute to the development and
democratization process of the current Armenian Republic.

"Regardless of whether we decorated manuscripts in monastic cells,
or casted letters of Mashtots to print books and journals from Vienna
to Calcutta, and from Echmiadzin to Venice, we were guided by the
same vision.

No matter whether the Armenian was a successful merchant whose private
fleet ranged the oceans, or a hungry and humiliated exile immolated
in the Der Zor Desert, he was guided by the same vision.

No matter how much territory we occupied on the world map, and even
when altogether swept away from the map, we were nevertheless guided
by the same vision: the vision of independent Armenia that epitomizes
freedom, human and national dignity and, ultimately, the right and
historical ability to create good and beauty."