Honorable National Assembly President,
Distinguished Vice Presidents,
Distinguished National Assembly Members,
Dear members of parliamentary factions,
We have just witnessed an exceptional case in parliamentary debates when, in fact, there is not much to say in my concluding speech for the simple reason that the representatives of parliamentary factions complemented each other with what was to be said from this tribune as concluding remarks. This is the most important outcome of this discussion, and I wish to voice my feeling of pride in the situation we have today.
Nevertheless, I would like to touch upon a nuance. In fact, as it comes to living for the sake of the homeland, or dying for the sake of the homeland, I see no contradiction in either of the above two formulations, since our will to die for the sake of the homeland reflects our determination to live.
We cannot just die for the sake of death; we are prepared to die for the sake of life, for living, because there is no need to die for death. There is no need to take any initiative in this matter. Our enemies can do that for themselves. Here is what we have to do and this is what we have to say.
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I want to make it clear that all necessary instructions and orders have been issued just as we would have done in a parliament free from divisions between the opposition and the government. We have given such instructions and orders as would have been issued if this parliament had been a monolithic body. Please do not doubt this for a second.
On the other hand, we must realize that we are dealing with a very scrupulously prepared offensive. It is not just a one-move attack, and it cannot be countered with a one-step combination. We all need to realize it very well. We need to understand that we have losses in human lives, while the adversary has suffered far more casualties. We have losses in military hardware, while the adversary’s losses are much more sizeable. The situation is still evolving, and we must stand firm in all possible scenarios.
As it was noticed above, there are different scenarios as to which way we will go to achieve this goal. I cannot say at this point that I rule out any scenario. Just as we agreed, we will work on those scenarios very carefully and without emotion. But on the other hand, we cannot be afraid of any scenario; we will not back down. Just as one of our speakers put it rightly, there is no room for fear. Even if so, we have no right to be scared, because this is another milestone in our millennial fight for survival; we have a lot of issues to address here. And I am happy to see that the Parliament of the Republic of Armenia is unanimous in its mood.
I likewise welcome the firm determination voiced by extra-parliamentary political forces to defend the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Artsakh, and of course, to stand by the Armenian Army. I welcome all those Diaspora-based organizations and individuals that are working hard to solve this problem.
We cannot be defeated. It is impossible to defeat us, because although our victory in the liberation war saw many defeats and losses, it ended up in a final victory which is in our veins and is deep in our minds. That victory is our backbone; that victory makes our identity. That is why we cannot be defeated, and today’s discussion came to reaffirm it once again. And I salute the Parliament of the Republic of Armenia, the political will of the Parliament of the Republic of Armenia to achieve a victory. I join your firm determination to protect the freedom, rights and happiness of the Armenian people.
Long live the Armenian Army!
Long live Artsakh!
Long live Armenia!
Long live the Victory that we are going to forge together and forever, shoulder to shoulder, and mind to mind!
Thank you.
INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRIME-MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
