Minimum Faith of a Mustard Seed is Required to Overcome Challenges: Pashinyan Sends Congratulatory Message

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sent out a congratulatory message on the occasion of Republic Day.

Dear compatriots,

Dear people,

I congratulate all of us on the occasion of Republic Day. Today we celebrate one of the most significant events in our history: the founding day of the First Republic.

Why is this day so vital for us? For three reasons. First, because we established statehood after more than 500 years of interruption. Second, because for the first time, we had a Republic, meaning a system where power is formed as a result of the choices made by the people. Third, because we managed to create the Republic—a state, the highest institution for organizing any nation—at a moment of despair, when the deadly gears of the Armenian Genocide continued to spin.

The First Republic of Armenia was proclaimed on May 28, 1918, after the heroic battles of Sardarapat, Bash-Aparan, and Gharakilisa. It was a time when it seemed impossible not only to have statehood but also to preserve identity, language, and culture.

However, our people managed to act as a single fist at a critical moment, uniting their forces and creating the First Republic. The role of Arawn Manukyan, Tovmas Nazarbekyan, Movses Silikyan, Dro, Nzhdeh, Daniel, and the brothers Poghos and Bek Pirumyan, as well as Jhangir agha, the commander of the Yezidi cavalry detachment, and clergymen fighting with arms in hand, is undeniable.

This sacred independence, achieved through the efforts of these great individuals and thousands of other countrymen, was lost just two and a half years later. This followed wars and tragic losses of territory and lives. This happened because, during those two years, the First Republic of Armenia failed to establish political, international, and regional institutional resilience and did not manage to secure peace around itself.

Today, our country faces similar challenges, and we need a unique mental flexibility, iron will, and faith as small as a mustard seed to overcome these challenges. The founding fathers of the First Republic had no time to make the newborn state resilient against global challenges. Unfortunately, we have wasted a lot of time in the Third Republic. However, the heroes of Sardarapat and the founding fathers of the First Republic continually inspire us.

For us, the state, independence, and sovereignty have become an inseparable part of our national consciousness. The state and statehood should be the subject of our daily work, worship, and reverence, and peace should become the environment in which we can pass on the statehood received from the founding fathers of the First Republic to future generations for centuries.

Happy May 28! Happy Day of the Rebirth of the Armenian Statehood!