On September 21, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian took part in the meeting dedicated to the 20th Anniversary of Armenia’s independence in Gavar - the center of Gegharkunik Marz.

In the event Minister Nalbandian presented to a number of employees of administrative, educational, social, cultural and health institutions of Gegharkunik Marz the high state awards and gratitude letters of the President and Prime Minister of the Republic on the occasion of 20th Anniversary of Armenia’s independence.

Addressing the attendees of the meeting, Mr. Edward Nalbandian particularly said:

“Respected Mr. Governor,

Dear friends,

I warmly welcome and congratulate all of you on the occasion of the perhaps seemingly small by years, but great, quite great celebration – the 20th Anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia.

I say “perhaps a small anniversary”, as 20 years may seem a glimpse in our centuries-old history.

But I am saying “great celebration” because such “glimpses” unfortunately we have not had for a long time.

A great celebration, as the greatness of the 20th independence anniversary of our Homeland rewarded with victory is measured not by the number of the years, but by the pride of the victory. A victory, which we had not had for a long time, too.

And finally, it is a great celebration because today is the anniversary not only of our country, but today’s generation of twenty years, or children, all those boys and girls who have never been a citizen of other countries and their only Homeland is the independent Republic of Armenia.

Blessed are they, as they will never dream to be independent as they were already born independent and for them that independence is as natural as the sun and sky.

And it is our greatest achievement, because dreaming of independence should hence be considered as degrading and unacceptable for our people. As to dream of independence means not to have it, not to have the name of your country on the world map, it means homeless live in the family of nations and states by dreaming of having your own home under the sun someday.

Today we have that home. We have built it by our fair sweat, in cold we were warmed by the enjoyment of victory, in darkness guided by the light of the future, by the cost of difficulties and deprivations and the cost of life of victims and devoted soldiers. And we will never allow any reduction of warmth and lighting in that house. We should furnish that house and bequeath it to our children from generation to generation.

And the task of each of us, everybody, as well as of current and future statesmen is to do so that no generation dreams about the independence any more, and the independent Homeland to be for all the newborn children of our people as natural as the sun and sky and Lake Sevan.

That they irretrievably forget about the time when we were tenants in a foreign house, when by the words of the President of the Republic the law belonged to the alien, when the alien was the law himself, or when the law itself is the alien.

All the difficulties brought by the independence gradually come to a simple task - to be able to possess our own fate.

And here we should be self-confident, and rely on our forces and ability to make independently the decisions related to our people and state, because when as an independent unity you do not make a decision, that decision is made by others instead of yourself.

The recent 20 years give us the important rank of being a reliable partner in the international stage that another of the greatest achievement of our independence.

In the remote 1988 Movses Gyorgisyan, national hero of the Republic of Armenia and devoted victim for the independence, was saying, “Viva Armenia that will come tomorrow!”

He was talking about Armenia which he did not see, but which we see- today’s free and independent Armenia.

So viva Armenia, our free and independent Homeland.