Today the Armenian people in Armenia, in Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)], and in the diaspora are again confident in their strength, and the spirit of the liberation of [Karabakh’s] Shushi [town] is awake in our hearts and eyes.

The aforementioned is noted in the congratulatory message the new Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, on Victory and Peace Day.

“The victory, which our forebears achieved in the Great Patriotic War [during World War II] was truly historic.

“Today is a double holiday for us [Armenians]. We celebrate another anniversary of the liberation of Shushi. That glorious victory was not just a military success; with it the Artsakh Armenians were saved from the threat of annihilation and they gained the prospect for living in peace.

“Today we bow our heads before the memory of all our martyrs, and we assure that the violation of the freedom of the individual and of the nation will not be tolerated.

“The nonviolent, popular, velvet revolution that took place in Armenia, its nationwide inclusion, is yet another irrevocable evidence that we [Armenians] have a clear understanding of what freedom, democracy, and loving of peace are.

“I do not doubt that the Armenian people’s triumphant spirit, which became more reinforced with the recent events [in Armenia], will bring new successes to Armenia and Artsakh,” reads, in particular, the congratulatory message by PM Pashinyan.