Epress.am News from Armenia
Twenty years ago on this day, large numbers of voters were casting ballots into the ballot-boxes with the hands of their children and grandchildren. Those children, who are grown-ups today, would later take over our country and live in free and independent Armenia, declared Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan (pictured, center) in Republic Square Wednesday ahead of the military parade of the Armenian Armed Forces dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.
“The choice of our people was deeply conscientious. We were also aware that neither of the former Soviet Republics had such unfavorable conditions for commencing [the process of succession from the Soviet Union] as we did. A large part of the country was a disaster zone, and we were at the brink of war. But we handed the ballots to our children and said, ‘Yes!’ Yes, we were ready to assume heroic tasks. And we have.
“Those who were not here in Armenia in the 90s and watch documentaries of those days cannot believe that it was like that. Even the streets of Yerevan looked different, to say nothing of Armenia’s borders, shelled towns and Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh].
“Reinstating our statehood was a celebration, our dream come true, but first of all it was a responsibility. From that moment on we became responsible for our security, our economy, our culture, our present and our future.
“Long live the Armenian nation, which went through war and fire. It went through all this with boundless trust in Armenia, unwavering stance and persistent efforts.
“Long live free Artsakh, which has written the most glorious page of our modern history not without the blood of its children.
“Long live Armenian volunteers, who at the fateful moment became the pillars personifying our dignity and self-respect.
“Long live the victorious Armenian Army, which is an indispensable component of peace and stability in our region.
“Long live builders and construction workers, who restored life to our villages and towns ruined by the earthquake.
“Long live the Armenian Diaspora, which if before was beside Armenia now has become the direct extension of the Homeland.
“Armenia’s political weight in the international world is much more than its geographical size. And credit of it first of all goes to a well-organized and dedicated Diaspora. Long live our brothers and sisters living all over the world.
“Today, Armenia, notwithstanding all its problems, is an established state. It is proved by today’s military parade. And our most precious possession is the generation of independence. A generation which represents citizens of a free country and cannot imagine any other status. This is a generation which has much to give to its country and to its people but which also has concerns and demands. And these are the most significant precursors of progress.
“In two decades, we were able to make a huge leap forward; however, there is still much to be done. Both achievements and failures are all ours. With this conviction and with the societal accord, in the next twenty years we will be able to build a country which will come close to our ideals. I believe in that because I believe in our collective power.
“Troops will march through this square in ceremonial step who are contemporaries of our Independence. This is the Armenia which has a millennia-long profound history which is, however, only twenty years old – full of a twenty-year-old’s ardor and enthusiasm, passion for life and belief, optimism and ambitious plans, but not with the naivety of a twenty-year old.
“This is a new Armenia, which cannot be deceived or intimidated, which cannot be compelled or blackmailed. You can befriend and cooperate with this Armenia, you can celebrate success and share pain with this Armenia, you can set an example for and learn from this Armenia.
“This is a new Armenia which remembers much but is not vindictive, which has seen much but today is looking into future.
“This parade is a glorious episode of the Armenian nation’s perpetual march,” said the Armenian leader.