Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, Lieutenant General Onik Gasparyan has sent the following congratulatory message on the occasion of Independence Day:

“Dear compatriots, friends dedicated to the military, servicemen, today is Independence Day, one of the major holidays in our country. Independence has been the desire of our forefathers, grandparents and parents for centuries, and every generation of Armenians has led a struggle for independence. When Armenians were leading a battle for life or death to maintain the small part of our homeland in the 1990s, they proved that they deserve and must have an independent state, the Mother Homeland of all Armenians around the world.

We servicemen are well aware of the fact that we are the guarantors of independence today and know that our parents and children have hopes with us. This is not a burden.

Unquestionably, we Armenians are going to live, work and create in an independent country and make it more and more thriving, stronger and more protected every day. Every centimeter of Armenia and Artsakh is our homeland, and we will continue to stay strong and unwavering. Happy Independence Day to all Armenians.”