National Day Message by H. E. Mr. Armen Yedigarian, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Republic of Bulgaria

21 September is the National Day of Armenia, a day that united all Armenians around the world to realize our centuries-old desire to have a free, independent and sovereign state.

The ancient history, civilization and rich cultural heritage of Armenia created the strong foundations for the development and strengthening of our modern statehood. It is worth mentioning that Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301 AD and to have its unique Alphabet in 405 AD.

In 1991 the people of Armenia, and notably, 99 % of the voters supported the establishment of a free, independent and democratic state.

Since then the Republic of Armenia has successfully passed through many challenges and established the necessary institutions responsible for providing the security and welfare of our people.

After the tragic 44-day war of 2020 and the ongoing aggression against the sovereign territory of Armenia, our Government keeps to tirelessly work towards the establishment of peace and stability in the region and to ensure the safety of the people, especially after numerous examples of shelling of the civilian settlements.

The security challenges remain and we are grateful to all our international partners that support the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship and call to de-escalate the situation along the borders and the sovereign territory of Armenia.

We celebrate another important anniversary in 2022: 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Bulgaria.

Our interstate relations that are grounded on the common values, cultural closeness, the centuries-old friendship, mutual respect and understanding, and they continue to develop for the benefit of our peoples.

Here I want to note the irreplaceable role of the Armenian community of Bulgaria as a living bridge and an impetus for further strengthening of our solidarity and commitment to the continuation of the best traditions.

Armenia continues to promote the mutually beneficial relations with Bulgaria and is committed to the advancement of our cooperation.

We are eager to activate our economic ties, trade and investments, to further enhance our cooperation in the fields of transport and communications, high technologies, innovations, tourism, education, culture, healthcare and agriculture.

Bulgaria is also an important partner for Armenia in its relations with the European Union and we appreciate all the support Bulgaria has given to us in this dimension.

I want to take this opportunity to extend my warm congratulations and best wishes for prosperity and well-being to all Armenians living in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Diaspora, especially the representatives of the Armenian community of Bulgaria and to all our Bulgarian friends.

The photo was provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Republic of Bulgaria. On it: H. E. Mr. Armen Yedigarian, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Republic of Bulgaria