Remember, we have no lives to lose: Armen Sarkissian on troubling incidents in the army

The President of Armenia, Armen Sarkissian, has made a statement regarding the troubling incidents that have occurred in the army recently, presented below.

Dear compatriots,

In light of the recent troubling incidents in the Armed Forces, I would first like to express my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of all our servicemen who have lost their lives while on duty, sharing in their grief. The death of any soldier or officer, every citizen of Armenia, every compatriot is a great sorrow, an irreplaceable loss.

Dear soldiers, dear commanders, each of you has received a heartfelt blessing, an indescribable warmth, a gentle kiss from your family, your parents, your wife, your children, or loved ones, as you set off for service. You have been wished a safe service and a good return, and they were confident that you would be a reliable defender of your homeland, and they were assured that you would be a good friend, and that next to you would be a reliable comrade to share not only the difficulties of service but also the feeling of being a solid, united, and powerful force.

The army is an experience, education, upbringing, a lesson in life and patriotism that is not easily given but is necessary. By going through it, you mature, strengthen, learn to withstand and overcome, to remain cool-headed, restrained, and most importantly, to be responsible, because you, both the eighteen-year-old recruits of the Armenian army and the experienced officers who have gone through the trials of service, are entrusted with the most valuable thing: the protection of our homeland, our families, our future, and our peace.

Be responsible in your mission, in your relationships with one another, remember that tolerance is a testament to strength.

Remember that you serve in a victorious army and must honorably and with dignity continue the best traditions of the established and formed Armenian army—traditions of mutual assistance, unity, and solidarity. We trust and believe in you, and we expect each one of you to remember that we have no lives to lose; we must not have unfulfilled dreams. Children should still be born in your homes; each of you deserves to see a bright future for a united and peaceful homeland, a future forged by your devoted service.

Dear compatriots,

Let us together be a support for our soldier, our officer, let us maintain peace in our homes and in society. And peace in the home cannot be achieved without tolerance, without feeling each other's pain, without respecting each other's opinions, and without learning to live together.

God protect us all.