YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian addressed a congratulatory message on the Independence Day, the President’s Office told Armenpress.

The message runs as follows:

“Dear compatriots in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora,

Dear citizens of the Republic of Armenia.

Today is the Independence Day of Armenia.

It’s a special message to better know ourselves, our country, identity, our opportunities and potential.

What we have today – Freedom, Independence, Homeland, State, we owe it to ourselves.

What we will be able to achieve, again will be thanks to us, our unity, united effort, our mind, respect and tolerance to each other.

The best path is the daily work, the daily creation, care towards the country, the state, and the patriotism.

The Fatherland will just remain as a geographical map if we do not live it in us, by us and with it.

In order to love the homeland and live with it it’s necessary to recognize it. But in order to recognize it, only knowing its place on the map is not enough. We must see our homeland, starting from Gyumri up to Goris, from Syunik to Lori, from Artsakh to Tavush and from Lori to Ahnidzor.

After seeing and feeling the homeland it becomes more clear what is necessary to do for it, how to do and why. We should have a vision, propose and implement ideas and programs.

In order to recognize the homeland, it’s necessary to understand the owner of the homeland because the Fatherland is also people who live and create with us.

Like in the decisive days of gaining independence and the subsequent difficult years, today as well our state faces challenges and the key to overcome them is exclusively in our hands.

Hrant Matevosyan once said: “We have established a Homeland, we are raising a Homeland….The Homeland demands the dedicated effort of all his sons, our yearly, daily and hourly effort”.

Let us not spare our effort, mind and love towards the Homeland. Let’s protect and defend our state, our church, be tolerant and caring towards one another.

As a state, as a people we are a bridge between civilizations. The value systems are being distorted in different parts of the world, the civilizations are sacrificed to politics, the human relations to various interests, people become indifferent and sometimes alien to one another.

Therefore, it’s more than necessary to care about our value system and one another. We can be different as persons from each other, but we ought to be united and together for the sake of our common goals, our independence and future.

Eternal glory to all heroes fallen for independence.

God bless our army, the guarantor of independence and security.

Long live the independent Republic of Armenia.

Long live our people in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora.

Long live the citizen of the Republic of Armenia”.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan