President of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Arayik Harutyunyan posted the following on his Facebook page:

“Dear compatriots,

We said goodbye to the passing year with a march with the relatives of missing servicemen and rang in the New Year with a homily in memory of our martyred compatriots at the St. Mary’s Cathedral in Stepanakert.

The year 2020 was a year of serious losses and challenges for the Armenian nation. We lost thousands of precious people, and the best way to respect their memory is to continue their mission and implement their dreams. It is simply our duty to continue the work of our ancestors and the brave soldiers who fell in the war.

May there be no more disasters in the homeland of the Armenians in 2021! May the year 2021 become the year of recovery and re-organization of the Armenian nation! May all Armenians be in peace and full of life and always remember the holy Armenian martyrs!

I wish each of you peace, determination and strong spirit.

Glory to the fallen martyrs and to all fighters guaranteeing our security!”