“Armenia more state than ever, more sovereign than ever” - Pashinyan's Republic Day address
Pashinyan addresses Armenians on Republic Day
“The Republic of Armenia, with an internationally recognized territory of 29,743 square kilometers, is an expression of our people’s achievements, not their losses. Our people no longer need to search for a homeland, there is no need to dream about a homeland, because our dreams have been fulfilled, our homeland has been found in the person of the Republic of Armenia, in the person of the state,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in his Republic Day address.
The holiday is also known among the people as First Republic Day. That’s because the Armenian republic declared on 28 May 1918 is commonly referred to as the First Republic. Accordingly, Soviet Armenia is considered the second, and the current Republic of Armenia, which declared its independence following a nationwide referendum in 1991, is seen as the third.
Pashinyan believes that since 2020, Armenia has gained a historic opportunity to strengthen its sovereignty, realise its statehood, and make it lasting. The prime minister is referring to the period that began after the 44-day war in Karabakh, which claimed thousands of lives and subjected the entire country to severe trials.
“Today we are more of a state than ever, we are more sovereign than ever, we are more independent than ever,” Pashinyan said.
The entire political elite of the country, along with the prime minister, visited the memorial complex in the morning dedicated to the heroic Battle of Sardarapat. In this 1918 battle, Armenian armed forces and civilian militias managed to defeat the regular Turkish army.
Following the prime minister’s address, a festive parade was held.
Main points of Pashinyan’s address.
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“We must overcome our disdain for statehood”
The prime minister stressed that the proclamation of the First Republic was a turning point in Armenian history, restoring statehood to a people deprived of it for four and a half centuries. However, Pashinyan said this state was later vilified during the Soviet period and subjected to mockery and contempt:
“The Empire thereby pursued the goal of destroying those sprouts of an independent state that the First Republic could have re-sprouted in our consciousness.“
What’s more, according to the prime minister, the fear of sovereignty and self-reliance was never fully overcome, even after Armenia regained independence. He believes 70 years of Soviet propaganda left a deep imprint on people’s minds:
“However, now, a retrospective analysis of the history of the Third Republic makes it obvious that the disdain for statehood, our fears of sovereignty and independence have not been fully overcome, we often continue to perceive history and the world with the formulas that the imperial propaganda of the USSR consistently instilled in us.”
“Security guaranteed by external forces is deceptive”
Moreover, Nikol Pashinyan suggests that to ensure the state’s resilience and preserve national identity, Armenians must overcome Soviet-era fears and accept the following:
- “Our identity is our state, our state is our identity, because all the characteristics that determine our identity have been acquired, formed and established thanks to statehood, that is, under the conditions of the existence of statehood, by state decisions and or with state support.
- Our history of the last 4.5 centuries, Historical Armenia, has sent us one main message each: “Do not repeat that history”, “Do not follow my path”, “Do not repeat me”. This is a quote from the message of our history and Historical Armenia of the last 450 years. These are the messages that history and Historical Armenia send us.
- Security guaranteed by external forces is deceptive. We ourselves are the guarantors of our security, and the effective means of guaranteeing this security are, first of all, political and diplomatic tools, the normalization of relations with immediate neighbors, the establishment of peace with neighbors and not with distant ones, and on this basis, conducting a balanced and balancing foreign policy and using the opportunities it creates.
- Evading responsibility for freedom and the state is the path to the loss of both freedom and statehood. The quality of the fulfillment of this responsibility and the affinity for this responsibility are the guarantee of the freedom and well-being of each citizen.”
“We entered era of achievements”
Pashinyan is convinced that the process leading Armenia toward development, prosperity and independence has entered a “decisive phase.” He listed several “undeniable” achievements of his government on this path:
- Agreement on the text of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan
- Active dialogue with Turkey
- Strong relations with Iran
- Strategic partnership with Georgia
- Full border control by Armenian border guards at all checkpoints
- Close ties with Russia and China
- Establishment of a strategic partnership with the United States
- Deepening cooperation with India
- Unprecedented relations with France and the European Union
The prime minister believes that the country has moved past a phase of losses and entered an era of achievements.
“Pessimism and despair are no longer Armenia’s companions. Armenia’s companions are state consciousness, scientific understanding of the world, development and democracy. Peace and security will become Armenia’s long-term companions. There will be no war — there will be peace.”
