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May 28 is certainly among the brightest pages in the history of the Armenian people. It is a glorious example of a heroic defense of the people’s right to life with their own forces and brilliant start for restoration of Armenian statehood after many centuries, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in his congratulatory message on the occasion of the First Republic Day.

“The May victories over the Turkish army in Sardarapat, Bash-Aparan and Gharakilisa saved the remaining lands of Eastern Armenia and the Armenian population that lived there. It was clear to everyone that Eastern Armenia was facing the Western Armenians’ fate,” the President said.

“Many events were organized and will be organized both in Armenia and the Diaspora this year on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Today, it is our duty to state that we ourselves – the Armenian villager and builder, soldier and politician, teacher and clergyman – prevented the extermination of the Armenians. We stopped that with our heroic battles of May. We stopped that with the establishment of Armenian statehood, making the remaining territory of historical Armenia a refuge for the salvation of hundreds of thousands of orphans and refugees,” Serzh Sargsyan said.

“May 28 launched the salvation and revival of the Armenians. Of course, the declaration of independence did not put an end to our ordeals and we faced new ordeals, but we withstood them as a nation-state,” the President said.

President Serzh Sargsyan on Thursday visited Sardarapat Memorial Complex to attend the ceremonies dedicated to the First Republic Day. President Sargsyan laid a wreath at the Monument to the Heroes of Sardarapat Battle and paid tribute to them. President of Armenia, Commander-in-Chief of the Armenian Armed Forces Serzh Sargsyan greeted the participants of the military parade and congratulated them on the First Republic Day. Further, the President together with the participants of the ceremony watched the festive cultural program. The President also visited the National Museum of Armenian Ethnography and History of Liberation Struggle. Award ceremony took place at the museum on the occasion of the First Republic Day.