President Sarkissian and Catholicos of All Armenians met with handicapped military servicemen: you still have much to do for the Fatherland

At the Holy See of Saint Etchmiadzin President Armen Sarkissian and His Holiness Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II met today with a group of young handicapped servicemen. The young people are mostly servicemen, who became disabled in recent years, but have been able to overcome difficulties and established themselves as specialists in different areas.

“I am telling with no hesitation that each of you is a hero. Heroes are not only those who have that title; heroes are the people who proved it with their life, their spirit, and the epic victory they gave us,” President Sarkissian underscored. “You all are the soldiers of a victorious army. It was thanks to your personal contribution that we are able to say that we have one of the most powerful armies in the region. Army is strong also for its spirit. When the army was being created, your fathers and grandfathers stood up to defend the Fatherland and Artsakh, and they won. The spirit of that victory is being passed to the next generation, it was passed directly to you with the message you received from your parents, with the same spirit and strong willpower which you inherited from your fathers, grandfathers, mothers and grandmothers. You gave your lives and your health to Fatherland, you fought for life and won, you went through difficulties and kept deep inside your trust in life: your life is meaningful.”

The President viewed as important that after decommissioning each soldier finds his place in life. “It is very important that each of you come back to life and find your place in that life, in the society, and live a dignified life. I hope that a decommissioned soldier, regardless the state he returned in, will fully integrate into the society and will be able to return to a normal life,” President Sarkissian underscored. “I appeal once again to all state and various non-state structures to do their best to take into their working family the heroes who want and can bring their contribution to that work.”

He noted that there are young men in the Presidential Administration who fought bravely, now have physical impediments but are able to fully participate in the works of the Administration.

“The time has come for you to return to normal life. You were heroes on the battlefield; I am confident that each of you will be a hero also at the work place,” the President underlined. “We are proud of you, our defenders and guardians but today also our colleagues. Each of you has still much to do for the Fatherland, your greatest success is still ahead.”

After the meeting, at the Saint Vartan and Saint Hovhaness the Baptist Chapel His Holiness Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II performed patriarchal prayer for the Fatherland’s peace and inviolability.

Later, President Sarkissian and His Holiness had a dinner with the young men, congratulated them on the approaching holidays and conveyed their best wishes.