Address by President Serzh Sargsyan on Independence Day

President of the Republic of Artsakh, Mr. Bako Sahakyan,
Your Holiness Catholicos of All Armenians and Supreme Patriarch Karekin II,
Your Holiness Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I,
Former President of the Republic of Artsakh, Mr. Arkadi Ghukasyan,
Dear guests,
My fellow compatriots,

I cordially congratulate you on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of Independence.
This is a great holiday, perhaps, the greatest one for Armenians.

The restoration of the independent Armenian statehood was the fulfillment of our age-long dreams. It also crowned the protracted and heroic battle fought by numerous generations of Armenians.

We belong to the happy generation that eye-witnessed this grand day. Twenty-six years have elapsed since that day, which is quite long.

In general, time is on the side of the one who does not waste it. Over this period, a lot has been accomplished, but one shall admit that we have not been always using these 26 years with utmost efficiency.

I am sure that it was possible to do more, but we have been moving in the right direction, and nowadays, too, we are on the right track.
Moreover, we shall try to make up for lost time. We shall do that with optimism and great faith in our own capability.

Pessimists have never accomplished any work, either for the humankind, or for their nation. All the great deeds in the world have been accomplished by optimists, by those who had faith in human being, and in the future of their country, of the people, and of the mankind in general.

Optimism is not about being cut off from the reality, and it is not about daydreaming. Optimism is about the resolve to change the reality. It is about intentions, desires and aspirations to make the reality better.

Yes, we have projects, desires and aspirations, and making them come true is the historical duty of the present-day generation. I have no doubt that we will do it.
I am an optimist. I have faith in human being, I have faith in our people’s collective capabilities, and I have faith in the peaceful and more prosperous future of our country and the entire mankind.

Yes, indeed, currently there is great deal of tension all over the world. There are numerous and serious challenges facing nearly everybody and we are no exception. But problems exist for solving them and not for getting disheartened.

In front of our eyes, entire religions rose and fell, empires emerged and declined, ancient nations disappeared and new ones came into being, but the world has not perished of it while we continue moving along our path.

Today, on the 26th anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Armenia we state the following with optimism:

Firstly, the people of Armenia continues its movement along its path drawing upon its historical, cultural and, broadly speaking, civilizational legacy, keeping its commitment to the ideas of freedom and humanism.

Secondly, the people of Armenia continue its movement along the path along with the friends, allies and partners.

Thirdly, the people of Armenia continue strengthening defense capability and prosperity being clearly aware that independence, first of all, is their very own responsibility.

Fourthly, the people of Armenia establish their government by legal and democratic means. The people of Armenia are law-abiding and freedom-loving, and do not tolerate any form of government they did not establish.

These four prerequisites are the important foundation for future successes.
Armenia of tomorrow will present itself to the world as a fast developing country, as information society equipped with advanced technologies. The new science and technology revolution that is underway in the world today is an ally of the Armenian people. This powerful ally of ours is changing and will be yet changing all our notions of resources, natural, human, financial, and so on. New technologies enable people and nations with modest resources to achieve incomparably lavish results. It is a gift of destiny to Armenia with its scarce resources, and we cannot afford refusing this historic opportunity.

In those sectors where we are not ready yet, we shall learn, train, grow, and move at an outperforming rate. Our goal is clear: all the spheres of economy and social life shall follow the path of successful countries.

However, one shall not expect that economic development as such will solve all our problems. Migration flows have dramatically grown in the modern world. I also referred to this problem recently at the Armenia-Diaspora Forum. The reasons for these flows are numerous and diverse. We are, indeed, sensitive to the outflow of population, and rightly so.

In our context, it is a matter of national security. We set up a goal to bring Armenia’s population to 4 million. Serious steps have been planned to increase natural population growth and to organize repatriation.

My fellow compatriots,

The issue of security is a top priority for any country. Each country resolves this issue depending on its own conditions and, especially, abilities. The past 26 years have vividly demonstrated that the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh are viable and defense-capable. They have demonstrated the futility of insinuations according to which Armenia under blockade was doomed to fail while the oil-and-gas rich Azerbaijan was surely to succeed. Moreover, attempts were made to make us believe that Azerbaijan’s economic achievements would predetermine the obliteration of Artsakh and Armenia.

Reality is the most cruel but fair enemy of propaganda and political myths. And the two free and developing Armenian states are getting stronger and prosperous day by day, and they are the reality.

Security issues in our context are related to all the spheres of vital activity in this country. There are no matters of minor or secondary importance here. This is our collective response to all our security challenges. It is also symbolic that these words are being pronounced here, in the administrative compound of the Ministry of Defense, fit for our Armed Forces.

My fellow compatriots,

This day, back in 1991, our people voted for the independent and democratic Armenia. Only the optimistic and confident citizen can vote this way.

I am sure that over the next 26 years of this country’s independence we will continue to move forward with greater optimism and self-confidence.

Long live the Armenian people!

May the memory of those who gave their lives for Armenia’s freedom live forever!

Long live the Republic of Armenia!