‘What Our Homeland—Armenia and Artsakh—Will Be Like Depends on Each and Every One of Us’: Armen Sarkissian

President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian's message on the occasion of Republic Day

Today marks 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, restoring statehood after a long struggle for sovereignty. It once again demonstrated that when we are united, we can prevail.

The First Republic of Armenia was established under conditions where our identity and physical existence were in jeopardy, a threat that was averted thanks to the heroic battles of Sardarapat, Bash-Aparan, and Qarakilisa, through our unity and self-sacrifice.

Today, we stand on the threshold of moral integrity and dignity, with Sardarapat as a reference point, where only a victorious outcome can guarantee a strong statehood and prospects for development.

Today, we need sober judgment and sound reasoning; we need to learn from the lessons of history and understand anew that the Homeland as a reality can only exist in the form of independent statehood, which is earned and defended with great difficulty, something many peoples still dream about today.

Independent statehood is our awareness of identity and national interests for which our people took up arms more than 100 years ago. This need exists at all times—just as it did during the days of the First Republic, as it does now during the current Republic of Armenia, and it will continue to be necessary for tomorrow's Republic of Armenia.

Independent statehood is the inviolability and uncompromising nature of our borders, our ability to make decisions and implement them, and our capacity to ensure security and dictate peace.

We must not only be able to win, but also deeply understand how to handle that victory. We must be able to fill this victory with enduring meaning and transform it into success.

We must understand and comprehend what happened yesterday, what is happening today, and respond and act accordingly. We must be able to foresee and manage what may happen tomorrow.

We need to soberly analyze the reasons for our failures, including those from the First Republic to today, and work on correcting our own mistakes, developing a clear vision and development plans.

I believe that we can achieve accomplishments that seemed impossible just yesterday, align reality with our aspirations, and realize those dreams that initially appear unattainable.

What our Homeland—Armenia and Artsakh—will be like depends on us, each and 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!