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 Today, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Independence of Armenia, President Serzh Sargsyan held a reception at the National Gallery which was attended by the representatives of Armenia’s civil society - political parties, mass media, Public Council and non-governmental organizations.

The President of Armenia congratulated the attendees on the occasion of the holiday and wished them all the best. Read the full text below:

Distinguished representatives of the Political Parties,
Mass Media, Public Council and Non-governmental Organizations,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I salute you all and congratulate on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.

A centuries-long dream of our nation to have an independent state has become a reality, which is now twenty years old. On September 21, 1991 we, in fact, opened a new page in the Armenian history and today we all together fill it with a content. We fill it through serving, teaching, creating, making decisions, differing and pointing out mistakes, elucidating, growing bounty, and curing.

Together, we have already written down glorious lines about Artsakh, maturing social and political environment, irreversible processes of building institutions which befit a modern state and have issued a certificate of confidence for a young country to move forward. However, very often these “inscriptions” are also about poverty, violated rights and social hardships: these “inscriptions” are yet incomplete – they are to be revised and amended. We will put a period in these sentences together, and I have no doubt about that. Why? Because I know that despite existing different and differing approaches, one thing is absolutely undeniable: it is our unconditional love for our country, and that's more than enough for having confidence in Armenia’s future. Everything can change, but nothing can change this conviction of mine.

There is no doubt that twenty years is a solid and binding jubilee, which our people have reached leaving behind a difficult and honorable road. All these years we have been living the joy of achievements together. We have also had bitter loses, however we never lost one of the most important achievements of our independence – the right to speak free and open about shortcomings present in our life.

Shortcomings and hardships can discourage every, even the most established society if there is no confidence that there is a will and ability to conquer and eradicate them. People will not overcome hardships standing shoulder to shoulder if there is no mutual trust; on the contrary, they will turn with suspicion even hatred, opening their backs to that very hardships. It is obvious: no effort is enough to strengthen mutual trust among all members of our society. It applies to everyone.

For two decades we have been working toward the establishment in our country of a political culture based on competition. A situation, in which the aspiration to assume responsibility for the country’s development and state administration can be achieved only by proving to the people the validity of the proposed course. A situation, when there is more than one truth, when the good has to make way for the best, and when the ambition to be the right and the best can be established only through competition – publicly, in front of everyone, by competing with ideas and vision, by being persuasive.

However, no competition, political competition cannot direct a country toward the best course, if ends of those competing are subordinate to the means, or when the ends justify the means, if they compete for sake of competing, if they win for sake of winning.

Therefore, political competition ought to go hand in hand with political cooperation. Joint path of the competition and cooperation is narrow indeed; it is also unsteady, while the rims of the nation-racking abyss are wide, numerous and slippery. They are passable only for those who has acquired wisdom in that struggle, who was able to stop in that relentless struggle and offer his hand to the opponent, whose battle cry has not turned into a curse, who comprehends the meaning of the words uttered by Prince Artavazd: eternal disgrace of the one who’s condemned to reign over ruins.

Today, we can take pride in the achievement which confirms the maturity of our state. We have been able not only to lay the foundation of our statehood but also to start the construction of a strong edifice. Our political parties and society have been able to mature passing a very difficult road, to find the path of political competition and cooperation and move forward.

From now on, we may not deviate from that path. We will compete, but hand in hand. We will struggle on the political arena but never rolling down from that arena, never rolling that arena away, never rolling away the people.

The Public Council, which is endowed with huge social capital, plays an important and key role in the establishment of the atmosphere of trust in our country. It has provided a new opportunity for open and free discussions in our society. I am confident that the Council has yet much work to do and that it will continue to contribute to the growth of accord and solidarity in our society.

We all, including mass media and non-governmental organizations must continue our work aimed at the consolidation of Armenia’s civil society. Nobody will do it for us.

Twenty-year old history also heralds the advent of a new generation. Today, the generation, which was born in our independent Motherland and matured together with our state, enters the social and political realm of the country. These are people who’ve never been citizens of another state.

We have always been keeping record of our achievements and failings; however, we often forget the greatest achievement which has been strengthening from year to year – the independence generation, which must be and will be free of mental bonds, which will be more liberated and progressive, which will be more able and aim-oriented. We, their parents, the older generation, who carried on their shoulder the burden of state- and armybuilding, who carried the burden of transformation, are more than proud to see and welcome the dawn of a new generation. Mass media and non-governmental institutions, political unions – the most important institutions of Armenia’s civil society are among those attractive areas in which the new generation makes its first steps.

I wish success to you all and once again with unconcealed pride congratulate on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of our Motherland’s, the Republic of Armenia’s independence.