Armenia`s premier participates in event dedicated to 30th anniversary  of Yerkrapah Volunteer Union

ArmInfo Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the event dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the  establishment of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union at the National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet.

The Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan, Minister  of Defense Suren Papikyan, Vice President of the National Assembly  Ruben Rubinyan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Edward  Asryan, President of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union Sasun Mikayelyan,  MPs, Cabinet members, members of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union were  also present at the event.

The attendees observed a minute of silence in memory of the Armenians  who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the Motherland.

The Prime Minister delivered a speech, in which he particularly said,

"Dear Minister of Defense, Dear President of the Yerkrapah Volunteer  Union, Dear Yerkrapah members, Statesmen, Spiritual fathers, Dear  attendees,

Today we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Yerkrapah  Volunteer Union in the conditions of crisis, in the conditions of the  geopolitical crisis, the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh and,  in general, the collapse of the world order.

The 30th anniversary of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union is, of course,  first of all an opportunity to commend your past way, to congratulate  us all on that occasion. But there is actually a little more to the  history of the earthkeeper and the history of the earthkeeper. It is  actually related to the creation of the Third Republic of Armenia and  statehood. But in reality, the history behind volunteerism and the  history behind Yerkrapah Volunteer Union go a bot deeper. It's  actually linked with the creation and state-building of the Third  Republic of Armenia.

Let me say that, in my understanding, volunteerism first of all came  as a change in thinking, and the first bearer of that change in  thinking was Vazgen Sargsyan. Who was Vazgen Sargsyan? We now know  him as Sparapet, as the founder of the Armenian Army, as the founder  of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union. I am not sure if everyone present  here knows that Vazgen Sargsyan did not even serve in the army, in  the Soviet army. He was a promising writer, a promising organizer, a  promising figure in the field of culture.

How did he become Sparapet, the head of the Armenian army? First of  all, because of the change in thinking, because that thinking is to  understand what is happening and respond adequately to what is  happening. This is the most important component of the change in  thinking. Vazgen Sargsyan understood that Armenian statehood is the  most important and above everything.

I was very happy to see this poster, because a lot can be listed from  Vazgen Sargsyan's legacy. All these walls can be decorated with the  legacy of Vazgen Sargsyan, but I am grateful that this one was  chosen, because it is about the state and statehood. What did Vazgen  Sargsyan fight for? I must also talk about my belief as to why Vazgen  Sargsyan was assassinated. It is my belief that Vazgen Sargsyan  fought for the state and statehood. This is a very important point.

Andranik Ozanyan was mentioned in the footage, a referrence was made  to his tragedy. I am sure that we all know that it was Vazgen  Sargsyan who initiated the transfer of Andranik Ozanyan's remains to  the Republic of Armenia. And why was it so important to him? For one  very important reason, because Vazgen Sargsyan knew what was Andranik  Ozanyan's tragedy in. Andranik Ozanyan's tragedy was actually in the  dissonance between the military leader of the national liberation  struggle and the statehood. Yes, it was mentioned in the footage that  Andranik Ozanyan eventually had to leave. Why did he have to leave?   Because he could not find his place in the conditions of having a  state and statehood.

Vazgen Sargsyan returned the remains of Andranik Ozanyan not to the  Motherland, but to the State, because Vazgen Sargsyan wanted the  reconciliation of the fedayi and the state. Let's say, without  volunteerism and the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union, we would not have  independence. But, of course, there are problems in the relations  between independence, peace and statehood gained with the blood of  the volunteers. We will commit a sin before Vazgen Sargsyan and all  our fallen brothers if we don't talk about it.

Bringing the remains of General Andranik to the Republic of Armenia,  organizing his funeral according to the state ceremony in the  pantheon of the martyrs who laid down their lives for independence,  Vazgen Sargsyan wanted that reconciliation, he was pursuing that  reconciliation, it would be more correct to say harmony. Let's  understand one more thing: approximately 3 million people voted for  independence, but Vazgen Sargsyan had to look for 500 people ready to  sacrifice their lives. Let's understand this ratio. 3 million people  who voted "yes" and the need for 500 people ready to die. And we have  to understand this too.

I often say in our discussions that the state is based on the  willingness to sacrifice one's life for the sake of that state. If  there is no such willingness, there cannot be a state. But on the  other hand, it is very important to continue this, because the state  is not a place where people should die, the state is a place where  people should live. Independence is not for a person to constantly  die for that independence, independence is for a person to live, be  independent, be protected, be happy, be prosperous.

I have had the honor to work and ponder in the office where Vazgen  Sargsyan was sitting and working a few hours before he was killed.  And now I have to say something that I have thought about a lot, but  never voiced it. Of course, Sasun Mikayelyan talked about October 27,  the assassination of October 27, about revealing the act of  terrorism. It is the responsibility of the law enforcement officers,  and I am sure that everything possible will be done for it. But let  me share with you my belief as to why Vazgen Sargsyan was killed.

My belief is that Vazgen Sargsyan was killed because he not only  understood the need, but also made a final decision to reformulate  the national liberation struggle and make it a struggle for state  building, a struggle for the state, a struggle for the  institutionalization of the state, a struggle for strengthening the  state, because sometimes we do not realize, and this is our biggest  problem, in our reality, the State and the Motherland are not always  perceived in the same way. And it is the breaking of those  perceptions that reveal all our defeats. We must equate the concepts  of Motherland and State, because the State is very specific, and if  the Motherland is not a State, any other State can become the  Motherland.

I would like to once again congratulate all of us on the occasion of  the 30th anniversary of the Yerkrapah Volunteer Union. But I want to  say that the change that took place in Vazgen Sargsyan's thinking,  and when I talk about Vazgen Sargsyan, I am not only talking about  him, because that change led to much wider changes, because we are  talking about an epoch making man. But in 1999, the process of  changing that thinking stopped, because once changed thinking is not  as relevant after 10, 15 years, because the world is changing, and  thinking must change with the world without cutting off from its own  origins. I compare it to the flight of a rocket. When a rocket leaves  the ground, at a certain height, the first stage, its engines are  detached, released, because if those same engines remain on that  rocket with the same formula, it will stop at one point and fall.  Those first-stage rockets are released to connect with the  second-stage rockets to ensure progress, so that in the next stage,  the third-stage rockets are already connected, which will take the  rocket to the target point. I am drawing parallel between this and  the change in thinking.  Vazgen Sargsyan was our rocket of the first  stage, but he did not leave even at that point, because, of course,  no one would rule forever in a democratic country.

And it is very important that we continue this process and we  continue it. The large-scale reforms that are taking place in the  army, in the Armed Forces, are the reforms named after Vazgen  Sargsyan, we do not call them that way, but I want to draw the  attention of all of us to the following. today in the Republic of  Armenia, there is a body in the Armed Forces named after Vazgen  Sargsyan, it is the Military University named after Vazgen Sargsyan.

This is the next strongest message. Patriotism, emotion is very  important, but in the 21st century, patriotism will weaken without  knowledge, emotion will turn against itself without knowledge. We  should be able to continue this path and remember this message on  that way, which is about Independence, which is about sovereignty,  which is about the State. And we should not be afraid to say on  behalf of Vazgen Sargsyan that the Motherland is the State and the  State is the Motherland. I congratulate everyone on the occasion of  the 30th anniversary of the, long live the Republic of Armenia."

Next, Yerkrapah Volunteer Union President Sasun Mikayelyan handed  over jubilee medals dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Yerkrapah  Volunteer Union to a group of volunteers. Vazgen Sargsyan, Sparapet  (commander of the army), the eternal president of the Yerkrapah  Volunteer Union, and many volunteers who stood at the roots of the  union were also awarded posthumously.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also visited the Yerablur military  pantheon on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Yerkrapah  Volunteer Union, to pay tribute to the memory of Sparapet Vazgen  Sargsyan and General Andranik Ozanyan.