Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Vardenis, Akunq, Tsovinar, Martuni, Vardadzor, Tsovak, Noratus and Lchashen communities in Gegharkunik Marz. Nikol Pashinyan met with the locals, talked about the situation in the country, the prospects and opportunities for economic development.

The meetings started with a minute of silence held in memory of those Armenians who fell in the 44-day war. In each community, Prime Minister Pashinyan read out the names of heroes born in those communities and visited the graves of perished servicemen. Nikol Pashinyan attended the unveiling of a monument to 44-day Artsakh war heroes in Vardadzor community.

Addressing the locals, the Acting Premier said:
“Dear people, I once said on TV that our troops fought a heroic battle during this war. And there was a question hanging in the air, how? The 2nd Army Corps is the brightest example thereof, since our army kept a strong defensive line from the 2nd Army Corps to the 9th Defense District, and with this in mind, we must honor our officers, soldiers and generals.

We need to understand why a breakthrough happened at the 9th defensive zone, which, unfortunately, was not stopped later. Today a primary task is to honor our commitment to our martyrs and children. We must build a developed and prosperous country. The Republic of Armenia must be a developed, prosperous country.

Yes, we have done a lot in recent years, but we have not managed to do much. Yes, we built roads, but we did not become millionaires because we built roads to build roads, we did not build roads to steal money. Yes, we built schools, we built kindergartens, but we did not become millionaires because we did not want to. Our goal was to serve the people.

Yes, we faced this catastrophe because we could not stop a process that had developed and reached its culmination, which would have imposed an unworthy solution to the Karabakh issue on our country and people. We fought to the last.

Yes, we fought desperately, just as our ancestors fought desperately in Avarayr, just as our ancestors fought desperately in Sardarapat. The army cannot fight without the rear front. And now I wish to pay tribute to all of you, because you kept the back of the heroic 2nd Army Corps. You stood up heroically for the defense of our homeland. In the meantime, a question came to be asked following the war whether the Turks are enemies or not. Of course, they are our enemies; it is a historical fact, but we need to manage that enmity for the sake of our martyrs, for the sake of our children. We must prevent enmity from spilling over and coming out of control in the region. I hope my people will accept this idea and support it.

Paruyr Sevak put it in a wonderful way in one of his poems: “We are few, but we are Armenians.” And he continues: “We fell, but we never knelt down.” Yes, we fell but we did not kneel in this war. And we will not kneel, but hostility needs to be managed. After all, we are responsible for the future of these children. We have done a lot in the past 30 years; we did both right and wrong things, but we have not shown enough responsibility to these children.

Yes, our Armed Forces must be reformed, our army must be much stronger than it was before the war. But we also have to build kindergartens for children, schools, stadiums.

Today we must first of all think about the physical health and psychological health of our rising generation. And first of all, we must not allow our children’s pride to be shattered, even in the aftermath of this war. And we must say the following: the Armenians are standing, Artsakh is standing, Armenia is standing and our country does have a future. And we must build that future together for the sake of these children. And the future is being created today.

We are implementing large-scale kindergarten projects and we will continue to implement them. I am happy that we have a formula that will allow us to continuously raise teachers’ salaries, but we do not do it only for teachers, we do it for children to be sure that the teacher who enters a classroom will teach in the best possible way and will constantly improve his / her professional skills.

Judiciary is the next issue, which is so often talked about. Yes, we have established justice in the Republic of Armenia. We have reinstated justice to the extent that our citizens know that they have a say in decision making, and that is the greatest justice. You are going to try us on June 20. You will judge us all. And I am convinced that the Armenian people will make a fair, worthy and just verdict.

I wish to state once again that today we have the least ever number of prisoners in Armenia. There have never been fewer people in Armenian prisons throughout the history of our country. What does that mean? This means that thousands of fathers are with their children today. That is the greatest justice. This means that there are no innocent people in Armenian prisons today. In other words, there are only people in prison who should be there legally, but we nevertheless treat them as our brothers.

For the first time in the history of the Third Republic, the prisoner eats the bread given by the state, because the state gives bread to the prisoner just because that is inherent in Christianity, in a Christian state, Christian government. There is such a saying in the Bible: “I was sick in prison, but you did not come to see me. I was in prison, but you did not call on me”

Any inmate can see today that the state keeps visiting them every day. And the state is helping them to return to normal life. This is justice, this is the greatest justice. Perhaps many should have been jailed, while they are at large today, but the point is that there are actually no innocent people in our prisons, and this is the greatest justice.

I wish to thank you first of all for being optimistic, not depressed. And I am convinced that by working together we will build our homeland; we will be able to manage hostility in our region, we will not allow hostility to come out of control.

Yes, we must ensure a peaceful future for our children. We must provide for a dignified peace, progress and prosperity. Thank you for concurring with this idea, because our children must live in a free, strong, happy Armenia

Thank you all. I bow to our martyrs and congratulate us all on the triple holiday. We are sad today, we think differently, but this is a good opportunity to think about ourselves and get to know ourselves better. We need to go through a process of self-reflection, which will definitely make us stronger for the sake of our martyrs, for the sake of our soldiers, for the sake of our children.”

In conclusion, Nikol Pashinyan lit candles at St. Astvatsatsin Church in Vardenis.