STEPANAKERT. – Artsakh Republic (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) President Bako Sahakyan on Tuesday issued a congratulatory address to fellow Armenians, in connection with the First Armenian Republic Day.

“Today is a special day for all Armenians in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora, residing both in the Motherland and beyond its borders,” the address runs, in particular, the Central Information Department of the Office of the Artsakh Republic President informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. “It is hard to imagine what would have happened to our people if the First Armenian Republic had not been established in 1918, if our grandfathers had not heroically stood up against the enemy and had not carved the glorious victories of Sardarapat, Bash Aparan and Gharakilisa. Those victories seemed incredible and inconceivable to many, but not to us. The Armenian people, who had just witnessed the genocide, had lost their homeland and native soil, had no alternative but to straighten their bent back and continue the centuries-old path, continue with dignity and with a stance inherent to the Armenian.

“This was also the case during the Artsakh liberation war when the whole Armenian people consolidated and prevented another genocide, united and continued the series of the May victories, liberated the ancient fortress-town Shoushi, defended and developed the land of the forefathers.

“Today it is our duty to put concerted efforts into further strengthening the independent Armenian statehood, developing our Motherland, keeping our Trinity unshakable.”