President visits Baze all-Armenian youth assembly participants

President Serzh Sargsyan visited today the participants of Baze all-Armenian youth gathering, hosted by the Armenian Youth Foundation in Tsakhkadzor. This year, which marks the 15th anniversary of the assembly, about 500 young people aged 18 to 30 representing Yerevan, all the regions of the Republic, Artsakh, and the Diaspora participated in the rally.

The Head of State got acquainted with the events held on the margins of the gathering, watched the film titled “Base 2017,” the prize-winning presentation of “Future Armenia” contest, the flash mob organized by the participants and an art exhibition about the youth rally.

For best organization and coordination of youth-oriented activities, as well as in connection with the 15th anniversary of establishment of Baze all-Armenian youth forum, a number of persons were awarded presidential diplomas. President Sargsyan highlighted the importance of Baze in the youth life of our country and wished the forum efficient proceedings.

“Dear participants, I want to congratulate all of you on the 15th anniversary of Baze and say that I am really glad that Baze was initiated and became one of the forms of organizing our youth life. Once a year, I may have attended all of the 15 editions of Baze. Sincerely, it is now too familiar to me.

Many think that Baze is not 15 years old, but it has always existed. It is important for us to ensure that Baze continues operating with the same efficiency in the future. It is also extremely important that Baze is not a politicized event; or rather, it is a multi-party function.

Here you spend your active vacation: playing, competing, doing creative work and also conducting political discussions. What you are doing is at the heart of the noble cause of creating a new political culture in our country. Since you are young, full of energy and also direct in communication, here you can learn to debate and discuss without turning into enmity. It is crucial to have diverging views over different phenomena and events in political life and not turn into enmity. Here you learn to discuss and concur.

Believe me: it is too important to reach an agreement on the political field and in general, in life through compromise. I do not mean conformism, but the understanding of others’ interest, and I am sure that many of you remember the well-known saying: the sweetest victory is the one achieved with small losses, little effort. Believe me, this is true. I would like you to be supporters of mutual understanding and agreement. It is impossible to achieve any success with the motto “against.”

I am very glad that you get many friends here, make many acquaintances, and I know that during these 15 years the participants of Baze have set up lots of families. I wish these families were always full of love.

Our country is a big family, too. Yes, our country is small, but it is a big family, and when filled with good wishes and love, this large family will turn into the Armenia of our dreams,” President Serzh Sargsyan said.