ETCHMIADZIN. – Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II issued a congratulatory message in connection with the 21st anniversary of Armenia’s independence. 

“With the declaration of independence, our people chose the difficult yet dignified road to live freely and to craft their [own] lives. The story of independence is the marvelous account of our modern history. Independence is God’s reward in return for those deprivations and losses we suffered in the years of the Genocide and the Soviet [Union].    

We have recorded numerous achievements and success, over the course of the 21 years of independence, but also had difficulties and shortcomings.      

Despite the current challenges, we will continue to empower the Armenian statehood and add new heroic chapters to the history of our people,” the Catholicos’ message specifically reads.