First Republic Day marked in Armenia

ArmInfo.The First Republic Day is being marked in Armenia. On this occasion, RA President Vahagn Khachatryan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan and President of the Republic of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan. 

Below is a message by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. 

"Dear compatriots, dear people. I congratulate all of us on the  occasion of the Republic Day.

"Today we mark one of the most important events in our history - the  day of founding of the First Republic. Why is this day so important  to us? For three reasons. First, because we obtained a statehood  after a pause of more than 500 years. The second reason is that for  the first time we had a Republic, that is, a state order, where power  is formed as a result of the people's choice. The third reason is  that we were able to create the Republic, the state, which is the  highest institution of organization of any nation, at a moment of  despair, when the deadly wheel of the Armenian Genocide continued to  spin.

"The First Republic of Armenia was proclaimed on May 28, 1918 after  the heroic battles of Sardarapat, Bash-Aparan, Gharakilisa. It was  the period when it seemed to be the end, that it was impossible to  not only have a statehood, but also to preserve our identity,  language and culture.

"However, our people were able to act as one fist at a crucial  moment, building the First Republic by uniting forces, consolidation.  The role of Aram Manukyan, Tovmas Nazarbekyan, Movses Silikyan, Dro,  Nzhdeh, Daniel and Poghos Bek Pirumyans, the commander of the Yazidi  cavalry division Jhangir Agha, the clergymen with weapons in hands is  undeniable.

"The sacred independence gained through the efforts of these great  men and thousands of other compatriots was lost in just two and a  half years. This was preceded by war, tragic territorial and human  losses. This happened because for two years the First Republic of  Armenia failed, did not manage to achieve political, international,  regional institutional resilience, to establish peace around itself.

"Today, our country faces similar challenges and we need exceptional  flexibility of mind, iron will and faith as a small as a mustard seed  to overcome those challenges. The founding fathers of the First  Republic did not even have time to make the newborn state resilient  to global challenges. We have sadly wasted a lot of time during the  Third Republic.

"But the heroes of Sardarapat, the founding fathers of the First  Republic, inspire us continuously. And the state, independence,  sovereignty are another inseparable part of our national  self-consciousness. The state, the statehood must become the subject  of our daily work, adoration, respect, peace must become the  environment in the conditions of which we must pass on the statehood  received from the founding fathers of the First Republic to our  generations for centuries.

"Congratulations on May 28. Happy Armenian state revival day."