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Today, March 5, marks the birthday anniversary of Sparapet (Chief Commander) Vazgen Sargsyan, an outstanding Armenian military and political figure, who became Armenia’s first defense minister and later also prime minister in the early independence period.

A national hero of Armenia and Artsakh, the great commander would have turned 61 today if alive.

The commander was assassinated during a terror attack on the Armenian parliament on 27 October 1999, aged 40.

A group of politicians, Vazgen Sargsyan’s family and friends visited the Yerablur Military Pantheon on Thursday to pay tribute to the commander.

Speaking to reporters in Yerablur, his brother Aram Sargsyan recalled that Vazgen didn't like celebrating his birthdays, adding he didn't particularly like toasts raised for him.

"When someone raised a glass to toast him, he would tell them to stop or would start singing," he said.

According to Aram Sargsyan, everyone has a work to do to live in the Armenia of Sparapet’s dreams.

“In Armenia, which Vazgen Sargsyan was dreaming of, the Karabakh conflict should have been settled in a way which would favor Armenia. Vazgen devoted his entire life and work to the Artsakh issue, he was a soldier until the end of 1998, after which he became a politician, "Aram Sargsyan said.

In his words, Vazgen Sargsyan was a modest person, who never compared himself to the other participants of the Karabakh war or overestimated himself.

“He believed that in the absence of any of the war participants no victory would have been achieved. He completed the individuals and established the army. He put it quite well, ‘I gave everything I could to this war and gained pride instead’,” he said.

Aram Sargsyan stressed that the victory achieved by the efforts of Vazgen Sargsyan and other heroes buried at the military cemetery must be enshrineդ, and the Armenian authorities must act as leaders of a truly independent country who have resolved the problems of their people.