Speech of president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan at the ceremony of the commemoration of the deceased.

“Dear countrymen, dear guests.

Today we commit to the grave the bodies of infinitely devoted and worthy sons of the Armenian nation. The cruel fate took away the lives of people that had completely dedicated themselves to the sacred cause of constructing the native land and establishing its statehood. We have undergone a huge grief. Armenia, all the Armenian people have suffered an enormous grief. It’s impossible to express the depth of our grief. The executed crime and its consequences will remain for a long time as a profound wound. The independent Republic of Armenia undergoes the crucial days of its history. The reputation of the entire nation has been harmed. The bases of the statehood have been harmed; human values have been infringed. The bright memory of Vazgen Sargsyan, Karen Demirchyan, Yuri Bakhshyan, Ruben Miroyan, Henrik Abrahamyan, Armenak Armenakyan, Mikael Kotanyan, Leonard Petrosyan will live forever. They lived hard yet happy lives, serving their native land and their nation. They succeeded in applying their capacities both in battle fields and in the time of peace, solving complicated and, at the first glance, unsolvable problems, inspiring people by their will, decisiveness and persistence. Later, history will evaluate the activities of Vazgen Sargsyan that used to be at the roots of Armenian independent statehood. He played a huge role in the creation of the National army. Vazgen Sargsyan left an ineffaceable mark on the road of the establishment and enforcement of the power of the country.

We are bidding farewell to Karen Demirchyan – one of the wisest political leaders, whose life was an example of serving the state interests and devotion to the nation. 45 years of his career biography will not be erased from the memory of the generations. Today we should remember the activities of each of our deceased friends. We should remember also the great advice, uniting them with us. Our responsibility is to serve our nation and the great aim of reinforcing the prosperity of our country. We should take into account the lessons of tragedy, get united and make the Republic of Armenia and the whole Armenian nation more powerful. Once more, I am expressing my condolences to the families, relatives and friends of the deceased, to all the nation, confirming our decisiveness to complete the cause started by our brothers.

Dear countrymen! Today all the world is mourning with you. The heads of almost all the countries of the world have expressed their condolences to our nation. Numerous delegations from foreign countries have arrived to share our grief with us. I am expressing them my profound gratitude.”

Farewell speech of President Robert Kocharyan at Yerablur, near the grave of Vazgen Sargsyan.

“Today I commit my second brother to the grave – a person with whom we shared all the hardships of struggle during last 10 years,” said Robert Kocharyan, the President of Armenia, in his farewell speech at the grave of the Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan. “We lost a person who was present at all the complicated places and at all complicated times. A person who was always ready to bear responsibility. Every period of time has its heroes. Vazgen Sargsyan is the hero of our Third Republic. Nobody can substitute him at his state position. We will never betray the ideas he suffered for and died,” said Robert Kocharyan.