YEREVAN, MAY 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian released a message congratulating on the occasion of Victory and Peace Day, the president’s office said.

“Dear countrymen,

I congratulate you on the occasion of Victory and Peace Day and the day of liberation of Shushi.

At this moment my thoughts are particularly with the glorious veterans of World War II, those who to our happiness are among us today, and whom I wish good health and many years of life.

They convey the spirit of struggle and the joy of victory to us.

My thoughts are also with all those, our parents and grandfathers, who bore the cruelty and hardships of war on their shoulders: blockade, famine, captivity, concentration camps and gulags, orphanage and shelter-less. They taught us to endure, hope and survive.

I bow before the memory of the thousands of heroes who sacrificed their lives for freedom. The Armenian people, still bleeding from the Genocide, paid a great price in the fight against fascism, the sons of which crowned themselves with glory in all fronts.

Numerous generations have been brought up with the example of these heroes. It were the descendants of this very heroes, who after decades went into battle for freedom and liberated Shushi – shaping our contemporary victories.

The spirit of courage, heroism and self-sacrifice for the fatherland is firmly present today in the Armenian soldier – the fatherland’s defender. It was him – the triumphant soldier – who defended the native land by unprecedented heroism in April 2016.

And today our bright young people are on watch, committed to rebuilding the fatherland with creative vigor, purposefulness and patriotism.

Glory and honor to all the brave and eternal memory to those who fell for their fatherland,” the President said in the address.

ENGLISH: Editor/Translator - Stepan Kocharyan