The second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, has congratulated the Armenian nation on the occasion of First Republic Day. His congratulatory message reads as follows, in particular:

After age-old and dire interruptions, the Armenian statehood was restored on May 28, 1918. This is one of the brightest chapters of our new history, which was written by the collective will of our people, the heroic efforts and the shed blood of their best children.

Historical parallels are always conditional. However, the current situation in Armenia is already characterized not by internal political, but by the crisis of statehood. We, as a nation, are facing the imperative of saving the statehood. From May 28, 1918 until today, we have experienced many no less difficult moments than at present.

But today we, in contrast to the kneeling and disgraceful authorities of the day, have determination. We see serious preconditions for building a strong state, restarting the dismantled state institutions and the whole life of our society.

Rest assured that we, as a nation, will come out of the current trials with honor, will rebuild and take the Republic of Armenia to new heights.