Third president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan’s address on the occasion of Army Day

Today, on the occasion of the formation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, let us remember with gratitude and pay tribute to all the devotees who stood at the creation of the Armenian Army – from the highest command to the soldiers. Through their daily diligent labor, through unspeakable hardship they had created glorious victories in the war and had established one of the pillars of our independence – the Armenian Army.

Eternal glory and tribute to them all!

The glorious path of the Armenian Army is not only the unerasable history, but also an objective reality which exists regardless of various perceptions. That reality should become a guiding path and the base for our younger generation to restore the former glory of the Armenian Army, its spirit and fighting abilities which is absolutely possible.

In the past, I spoke about few simple truths which we, as a nation, have to take note of and accept since they are definite today too.

Speaking about the role and place of the army, one should not forget that it is called upon not only to defend the territorial integrity of our country and inviolability of our borders, but also to defend the God given pillars of our national identity – our faith and language, our culture, and our families. Fully aware of this fact, our enemy and those who serve him openly within our own society, directed the first blow agains the Army; first, it was discredited, then wrecked and weakened and as a result, made it fail in the war.

It is only natural that any army should evolve and modernize through the years, and that was the priority since the creation and the functioning of the Armenian Army. However, the current rulers of Armenia have initiated a dubious process of the “modernization” of the Army. In reality, it is an attempt to make the Army a copy of their own image, which will bring the ultimate destruction of the Army. It must be stopped at any cost.

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia can and must restore the former glory and write a new and celebrated chronicle of victories also as a tribute to the undying memory of our heroic brothers and sisters, sons and daugthers who gave their lives for our Fatherland.