YEREVAN. – We deserve independence by proving the world and ourselves that we have the right to live according to our values and way. We proved that first of all through our army’s victories, Armenia President Serzh Sargsyan said in Sardarapat during his speech devoted to the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.
“Our army was born and formed during the war, and became the solid shield and unbroken stronghold of our newly formed state. The Armenian Army got strengthened and now it is not only the defender of the secure and creative life of the Armenians, but also the guarantee of peace and stability in the region.
It is ready to stand any external threat against independence of Armenia, let it be on the borders, in the land of the enemy or in any other place.
Dear soldiers, commanders, and officers,
Civilization and human inventive mind give a wider opportunity for work now than ever.
Unfortunately, challenges threatening peace and security of Armenian people have become stronger and numerous. To stand them we have to look always forward and raise the spirit and fighting ability of the army.
The soldier of our army not only defends the state in the war field but also creates the citizen of his state. “A soldier is a real soldier when he has thinking for the state,” taught Armenian and Artsakh national hero Monte, who preferred to be a soldier rather than to have another title.
A soldier, who has thinking for the state, is educated and disciplined, is the guarantee of the strong and efficient army.
We will raise the fighting efficiency of the army in accordance with time and support of fighting equipments and arms.
However, we should first of all inspire trust for the commanders in mothers sending their sons and soldiers to army.
“We should see the fate of the state in the palms of our mothers,” Armenian commander Nzdeh stated. Now we should reevaluate the aphorism for our 20-year-old independence. I believe, we will have brave mothers to deliver brave sons and they will make even stronger the fortifications defending Armenia.
We should estimate the fighting ability not by comparing it with other armies of the region but with our past army through constant work.
We will strengthen wires step by step linking the army and the civil society by making the citizen a soldier and a soldier a citizen. While simultaneously, we will cut all the useless wires that weaken the army by confusing the officer and the soldier in everyday social and economic issues.
Only after strengthening our army we can be sure to stand the attack threatening our freedom and independence of the state.
We are stronger now than ever. I say it without bias: we are ready to win. But we want to win only through intelligence and work.
We are ready for conquers. But we want to conquer creative picks.
We will not hesitate to defend cost of blood what really belongs to us. But we prefer grape blood and purple color of Armenian cochineal insect [vordan karmir].
Indeed the protector of our freedom and independence is the Armenian soldier.
However, life and security of our soldiers depends mainly on the successful work of our diplomats,” Serzh Sargsyan stated.
