Awards ceremony held at the residence of President on the occasion of the Republic Day

Based on the decrees of the President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan, military and highest service ranks were awarded on the occasion of Republic Day, as well as a group of individuals were awarded high state awards for their significant contribution to the development of the motherland.

First of all, President Khachaturyan congratulated everyone on the Republic Day and, presenting high awards, thanked them for their bravery and dedication.

The ceremony, held at the residence of the President of the Republic, was also attended by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President of the National Assembly Alain Simonyan, and other high level officials.

In his speech, the President said:

"I congratulate all of us on the occasion of the Republic Day. May 28, along with the Independence Day of Armenia, is one of the most important holidays of our statehood, the meaning of which is the expression of our collective will to build an independent, sovereign, legal and democratic state.

May 28, 1918 is one of the brightest episodes in our history, a decisive step in realizing the age-old dream of our people to have their own place on the world political map, to be the supreme right holder to decide their own destiny.

The First Republic of Armenia was formed in the midst of the war, and our statesmen had to take the first steps towards building an independent statehood, while simultaneously trying to solve the problems of living of hundreds of thousands of our compatriots who escaped the genocide, creating public administration bodies, the army and infrastructure. All this had to be done without an ally and friend, relying only on the collective will, wisdom and dedication of our people.

The year 1991 was not so different from the environment of the creation of the First Republic, when we again had to take a step towards building an independent statehood in the conditions of the war imposed on us, tasting the joy of victories and the bitterness of losses.

Today, on May 28, 2024, the challenges facing our state are not less. During more than three decades of independence, Armenia has been able to consolidate its right to existence, often at the cost of heavy and irreversible losses, was able to acquire new friends and did not avoid opponents either. It is also for this reason that this holiday is a good opportunity to reevaluate our statehood, history, and independence.

However, one thing is for sure: both the First Republic and the current Republic of Armenia are the result of our common efforts, dedication and work.

In this regard, I am confident that even today, relying on our strength, trusting in the wisdom of our people and believing in it, we can firmly move towards the goal of building a national dream state.

I am confident that we will succeed, each of us in his own place, at own workplace, in everyday life, doing our job with responsibility and compassion, constantly receiving education, acquiring new professional qualities, because only in this way we can have an independent, sovereign, democratic, legal, developing and a strong Armenia.

Once again I congratulate all of us and, in particular, our colleagues who have been awarded high state awards today, I wish the Republic of Armenia new successes, strength and courage, as well as firmness and peace".