President Sarkissian meets Armenian community representatives in Sharjah, UAE
11:10,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian visited St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Sharjah on the sidelines of his working visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
After a prayer the President laid flowers at the Armenian Genocide Memorial paying a tribute to the memory of innocent victims.
Thereafter, President Sarkissian watched the performance of kids of Ohannessian Armenian college, and then met with the representatives of the Armenian community.
“I am one of you, and you all are part of Armenia. These are not just words of gratitude and appraisal. This is reality”, he said. “Armenia is not only about our buildings, history, lands, mountains and churches. Armenia are we all together.
You are part of Armenia regardless of holding an Armenian passport or not. I am sure that every Armenian child, no matter where he is born, if he is born in an Armenian family, Armenia is born in him with his birthday. In other words, you don’t need to be born in Armenia for having Armenia inside you.
I dream that one day all Armenians will return to homeland, but want to believe that each of you today has already returned to homeland. He/she has returned because of having an Armenian passport, relatives in Armenia, loving Yerevan and being ready to serve for the homeland”, he said, adding that only the strong and powerful homeland makes all Armenians together, firm and reliable.
The President urged them to visit Armenia, Artsakh, to get acquainted with the homeland and introduced their homeland to their children because they are the future citizens of Armenia. “Armenia is the country of all of us, is the homeland and home of all of us”, he said.
Armen Sarkissian in his remarks said the world is changing quite rapidly in the 21st century, adding that all those nations who have some qualities, have preserved their national culture, identity, church, religion, language, are connected with the homeland and can succeed. “Today the power of Armenia are also you. You can connect Armenia with the world”, the Armenian President said. “All those nations who have an opportunity to develop new technologies and are stable, self-confident in this rapidly changing world, will be able to succeed”.
Talking about his visits to the UAE, the Armenian President said great success was registered in the relations of the two countries in this past one year in the form of intensification of ties and numerous programs.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan