If you do not lose your identity, you will always be ready for further victories. President Armen Sarkissian hosted the participants of the "International Religious Freedom and Peace" Conference

President of the Republic Armen Sarkissian hosted the participants of the international conference entitled "International Religious Freedom and Peace", representatives of sister churches and Christian organizations, scholars and public figures from different countries, at the President’s Residence.

Director of the Foreign Relations and Protocol Department of the Mother See His Grace Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan presented the purpose and agenda of the conference. In particular, he noted that during the conference, organized by the Mother See Propaganda Centre and the Artsakh Cultural Heritage Preservation Committee, they discussed current world challenges and some problems, facing our people in the post-war situation. "We focused on the issues of preserving Armenian religious and historical-cultural monuments in the territories beyond the Armenian control, not only in terms of preserving their physical condition but also in terms of continuing their vital activities."

Welcoming the participants of the conference, President Sarkissian emphasized that the issues raised during the conference are of great importance for our people. "The issues you discussed are of paramount importance to all of us, the people of Armenia, the people of Artsakh, all Armenians and humanity."

The President noted that different peoples define their own national identity differently; the Christian faith and the church are the basis of the Armenian identity. "This is not only about faith and the role of the church, but also about the national identity of Armenians. You can lose a battle, and you can lose a war, but you will not lose yourself, and you will always be there for future victories, as you have your faith, your strong identity, and you are a surviving nation. We are, indeed, a surviving nation. But survival includes also respect to others," said President Sarkissian. – Travelling in Artsakh from one village to the other, from one town to the other, you discover the history, the rich cultural and architectural heritage.

Being in Shushi, as the President of the Republic of Armenia, I was very proud. I was proud not only that the city had wonderful churches; I was also proud that my compatriots had invested efforts and finances to restore the mosque in Shushi. This speaks not only of religious freedom, but also of human behaviour."

The President emphasized that today, like any Armenian, he is concerned about the fate of thousands of historical and religious monuments, which are not under the control of the Armenian side. "These are justified concerns as going back over a hundred years, we recall the Armenian Genocide, when Armenians lost not only their homeland, but also most of their churches, cultural centres, and architectural monuments, which were systematically destroyed. Taking all that, we can say that the territories that are under the control of the Azerbaijanis today will have the same fate, said the President. - We all have differences, even being Christians, we have differences, but they are not Berlin walls. By respecting these differences, we can appreciate and learn from each other. As for Artsakh, the voices must be put together to protect the people of Artsakh, their right of having their choice, and also to protect the cultural and religious values ​​created during thousands of years."

President Sarkissian thanked the guests for participating in the conference and for visiting Armenia. "I am confident that our nation has enough strength to stand up, to fight for our faith, our God, our culture, and our church. We will have enough strength to stand up together with our friends. You are our friends."