Independent statehood is the realization of our identity and national interests, for the sake of which our people and the army had stood up more than one hundred years ago, President Armen Sarkissian said in a message on Republic Day.

“It is needed at all times, as it was during the First Republic of Armenia, also for the current Republic of Armenia and that of tomorrow,” he said.

The message reads:

Today is the 103rd anniversary of the proclamation of the First Republic of Armenia.

The First Republic was a significant event in the life of our people: the independent statehood was restored after a long struggle for sovereignty. Once again, it showed that when we are united, we can win.

The First Republic of Armenia was founded under such conditions when our identity and physical existence were endangered, a danger prevented in the heroic battles of Sardarapat, Bash-Aparan, and Gharakilisa, due to our unity and self-sacrifice.

Today, we stand on the threshold of the Sardarapat of morality and dignity, a battle the victorious result of which can only guarantee a strong statehood and prospects of development.

Today, we need sober judgment and sound thinking, and we need to learn a history lesson to realize anew that

Homeland as a reality can only live in independent statehood,

independent statehood is achieved and defended with difficulty,

and even today, many peoples still dream about it.

Independent statehood is the realization of our identity and national interests, for the sake of which our people and the army had stood up more than one hundred years ago. It is needed at all times, as it was during the First Republic of Armenia, also for the current Republic of Armenia and that of tomorrow.

The independent statehood is the inviolability and unbargainability of our borders, our ability to make and implement decisions, our capability of ensuring security and dictating peace.

We must not only be able to win but also understand in depth how to deal with that victory.

We must be able to fill the victory with lasting content and turn it into success.

We must be able to understand profoundly, to perceive what happened yesterday, what is happening today, and to react and act adequately.

We must be able to predict and manage what may happen tomorrow.

We must be able to soberly analyze the causes of our failures from the First Republic to the present, and work at correcting our own mistakes, develop a clear vision and development programs.

I believe that we can attain such achievements that seemed impossible yesterday, we can bring reality into line with our desires, and we can make a dream come true that at first glance seems unattainable.

What our Homeland, Armenia and Artsakh will be like depends on us, every one of us. And the Homeland will be what we make it together.

Long live the Republic of Armenia!

Long live Artsakh!

Long live our people!