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“Dear compatriots,

Dear guests,

I am glad to welcome you in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia. It is symbolic that our meeting with you, the participants of the 5^th Armenia-Diaspora conference, takes place on the eve of the 23^rd anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Armenia. Hence, let me, first of all, cordially congratulate all of you on the occasion of Independence Day.

The referendum of independence on September 21, 1991 was held in Armenia with the participation of the citizens of Armenia, but in its essence, it was pan-Armenian as an embodiment of pan-Armenian desires and strivings. As regardless of our location or place of residence, it is not motherlands, not countries that unite us, but one Motherland, Armenia, one state, the Republic of Armenia, one language, the Armenian, one culture, our national. However, you bridge countries and languages, cultures and states; you bridge them so firmly that due to decent and dignified citizens of different states of the world the Republic of Armenia has a wide frame of friends, trustworthy partners and at the same time, a fame of a reliable partner in the multi-member family of the international community.

We highly appreciate your devotion and support towards the Motherland, as well as your activity in the Motherland and Diaspora. Armenia and Diaspora are inter-connected and inter-related; they are close friends and partners. We are powerful thanks to each other, with the help of each other, for each other, for the pan-Armenian united interests, and for all of those, who are against those interests. Armenia and Diaspora are rich with each other, but together we have one whole undeniable wealth and undying achievement, the Independence, which we cherish and love regardless of geographical territory.

Dear compatriots,

Not only joy, in this case in the face of the next anniversary of Armenia’s independence, but the pain joins us. Several months are left to the centenary of the Armenian Genocide. The centenary of the Armenian Genocide is both a memory and a reminder, in fact, a reminder to the whole humanity. Unless in different instances on human rights and those loudly voicing from different tribunes have not fully realized or don’t want to realize the whole tragedy of the Armenian Genocide, the humanity will continue standing before the threats aimed at the peoples’ life and destiny.

Dear compatriots,

The Armenian Genocide is our people’s pain and tragedy, and making accessible and understandable page by page to the humanity the truth on it, first of all, is the work and duty of us, the Armenians, the Armenian state, Armenian organizations, structures and individuals, a duty before the past and memory, the Genocide victims and their close relatives, a duty of soul and heart, which, when it all comes down, though is never compensable, but will greatly promote changing the stereotyped brains, opening the blinded eyes, resurrecting the dying consciences, that is, restoring the historical justice, disclosing the yesterday’s and today’s face of the state perpetrated the Genocide. I hope that as one of the steps for accepting the committed grave crime and repenting, on the centenary of the Armenian Genocide not only Turk dignified intellectuals will visit Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, but also high-ranking representatives of the Turkish authorities without false masks, among scores of people.

Taking the advantage, I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to you and in the person of you, to all our compatriots of Diaspora for the efforts and devotion that you make for internationalization of the Armenian Genocide, taking to a logical end the Armenian fair Cause, for remaining an Armenian, for keeping and preserving the Armenian identity. The organizations and structures of Diaspora are centres, where together with the smoking pain, never-healing wound the fire of justice and the justified aspiration of reaching justice is bright. I am confident that our united efforts will result in the final restoration of regularly falling ill, but stubbornly non-dying truth, when the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex will be not only a symbol of the memory of the Armenian Genocide innocent victims, but also a symbol of restored justice looking from its height to the bank of Arax River with new and victorious glance.

Let us remember the words said by one of our Western Armenian great intellectuals, writer, member of the Turkish Parliament Grigor Zohrap, who has fallen a victim of the planned Armenian Genocide by the Turkish authorities to one of the main responsible officials of the Genocide Taleat Pasha: “One day, be sure that you will be asked., and you will not be able to justify your deeds.” I am confident that the process of demanding for deeds due to our united efforts will reach its fair end and the minimum justification of Turkey will be the accession and recognition of the Armenian Genocide. And the turning of the minimum to maximum depends, first of all, on us, our responsibility before our martyred compatriots’ memory, our resoluteness and unity. Thus, let us keep firm our independence, keep firm each other’s back, be resolute on the way of solution of pan-Armenian problems and tolerant towards each other. I am sure that new victories are waiting for us.”