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Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan on Wednesday took part in a solemn opening ceremony of a conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Armenia’s Independence in the town of Antelias, Lebanon, where he delivered a speech.

The president noted that the year of 1918 was among the most breakthrough periods of our people’s history when the Armenians restored their lost for centuries national statehood, the Artsakh presidential office said.

“The restoration of the independent statehood was not just a declaration. Neither was it a gift presented to us on a silver platter. People standing at the edge of annihilation who were exposed to a genocide and slaughter only three years before, not only found the power to stand up for their own destiny and country, but also defeated the genocidal enemy in the decisive battles. Such developments and victories still seem to be incredible and mysterious to some. To some, but it is not to us, not to our people. The secret of such a feat lies in the unshakable faith of our nation in God and its own strength, in being a single whole with the native land, in inexhaustible optimism and selflessness,” Sahakyan stressed.

The Artsakh leader highlighted that feats of 1918 and epoch-making victories had been the source of inspiration and stimulation for our people for decades. “It is hard to overestimate the impetus that they gave to our people on different fronts of the Second World War and during the years of the Artsakh liberation struggle. Today they are important components of the national pride and vitality of our people in the Diaspora and the Motherland too,” he noted.

At the end his speech, President Sahakyan underlined that Artsakh was standing firmly and persistently struggling together with Mother Armenia and the Diaspora for further developing and strengthening the independent Armenian statehood, for cementing the Motherland-Diaspora ties, for the bright and reliable future. “This is the token of our heroic battles, and we are all obliged to do everything possible in this direction,” concluded Bako Sahakyan.

Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I, representatives of the scientific, political and public circles of Armenia, Artsakh, the Diaspora and various countries attended the conference.