Yeghishe Charents: Was his call for a sovereign Armenia?

 Vaհe H Apelian

 

Courtesy Wikipedia

Yeghishe Charents was born on March 13, 1897. Wikipedia introduces him as, “an Armenian poet, writer, and public activist. Charents's literary subject matter ranged from his experiences in the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and frequently Armenia and Armenians. He is recognized as "the main poet of the 20th century in Armenia.” He died on November 27, 1937.

Yeghishe Charents is also known for his hidden message in his poem titled “Testament” (Badkam - Պատգամ). The poem was written in 1933/34 time frame. By taking the second letter of each line of the poem, Charents had encoded the following message “Oh, Armenian People, Your Only Salvation Lies in Your Collective Strenght”. On the surface the poem appeared to parise Stalin. 

A few years ago, Tatul Sonentz Papzian had translated the poem. I had saved it in my files. I attached it below, followed by the original I came across on the internet. 

I used to regard Charents’ message as a message appealing to Armenian patriotism. It may very well be considered a message appealing to the Armenians to have a sovereign nation of their own.

 

 

TESTAMENT

 

Look! A new light ascends afar!

Who brought this sun to our world?

Oh

Gaze upon this golden star,

Arriving through fire,

Embracing the world, riding

Before dawn, steeds of porphyry,

Infusing light and ecstasy,

Giving to the new world and men

Lasting bliss and harmony.

And who turned on this restless light,

Armenian

Opening the gates to the crimson blaze?

Tell me, what hand set the fire

To illuminate with flame-red flare and

Spirit? Who set this diamond of a light

Glaring with such glow in a

Setting darkened with blight…?

People

By being a bearer of life’s stress,

Lowered to the depths of slavery –

Running stream of wisdom in an

Arid plain of insanity –

Your

How many years and centuries,

In your long, long history,

Clinging to the bare truth

By sheer will, you bore witness…?

Only

Is there no river cresting along the

Dark banks where our homeland was?

Clamoring against serfdom,

Ever flowing through endless time

Passing through hideous darkness,

It carried the seeds of this sunrise –

Simmering visions of distant dreams

Born on its waves for eons…

Under the burden of an existence

Salvation

Singed by sorrow and strife, still

A spirit alive, a stream aflam,

Is

Lighting a new crimson torch

And hailing the coming acclaim…

in

Bygone embers are afire now,

Nothing dampens our radiant spirit,

Our shining star soars anew

Bright as this world on fire…

Your

Accept the sun – the only one

For ages to come – and beyond…

Always rising, always aloft,

Clearing the skies of all grime,

Beckoning us towards justice

Scrubbed of all blemish and slime…

It cautions us with fiery plumes,

Signaling us to stand firm…

Ever present, ever bright.

Let it always remain in sight.

Collective

Issued in fire and dazzling light,

Steady hands should hold these scales

Cradling the spirit of our insight,

Lest it stumbles, dropped by us

Into a gaping, ghastly chasm …

A great phase from past attainment,

Stable and just as our people’s soul,

The sturdy mainstay of wisdom’s court.

Strength

--------------------- Yeghishe Charents

Translated by Tatul Sonentz

***

Նոր լույս ծագեց աշխարհին.
Ո՞վ այդ արևը բերեց:–

Ահա ոսկյա մի արև՝
ճառագումով իր հրե՝
Այգաբացի պուրպուրե

Նժույգների վրա հեգ՝
Նոր աշխարհին ու մարդուն
Հղում է լույս զվարթուն,
Նոր աշխարհին ու մարդուն
Ո՜վ բերեց լույսն այս արթուն,
Օ՜, ո՞ւմ ձեռքով վառվեց, ո՞ւմ,
Հրակարմիր, հրավարս,
Ադամանդյա լույսը այս:-

Կքած կյանքի բեռի տակ,
Խոր գերության ընդերքում,

Իմաստության մի գետակ
Հիմարության համերգում–
Քանի՜ տարի, քանի՜ դար
Վկայեցիր անհերքում…

Ափերին այն խավարտչին,
ՈՒր հայրենիքն էր մեր հին,–
Չկա՞ր արդյոք գետ մի հորդ,
Որ գերության անհաղորդ՝
Լուրթ՝ հոսելով դարից-դար՝
Մթության մեջ այն համառ
Այս այգաբացն էր կրում,
Հո՜ւր այգաբացն այս հեռու՝
Հնուց պահած իր ջրում
Օ՜, ըղձակա’ն այս հեռուն…

Կքած կյանքի բեռի տակ՝
Ոգի՜, անկոր, հո՜ւր գետակ…

Ահա վառվում է մեր նոր
Հաղթանակի լույսը բորբ.
Լվանում է նա հիմա
Վառվող ոգին մեր անմահ,
Չքնաղ արև’ն այդ արի,
Վառված հրով աշխարհի…
Չկա՜ ուրիշ արև է’լ.
Նա‘ է միայն, որ դարեր
Անմար՝ պիտի արևէ’…

Լույսով վառված սակայն այդ՝
Նժարներից հիմա մենք
Հիմարությամբ չթափենք

Իմաստությունն այն արար.–
Մեր անցյալի խորամիտ
Է’ջն այն արդար ու ռամիկ՝

Մեծահանճար ու վարար…

1933.V. 9

 

Voices from Armenia: Quo Vadis Armenia?

What does Russia want from Armenia and Armenians?  A question Levon  Shirinyan’s (Լեւոն Շիրնյան) raised in his latest posting from Yerevan. Levon Shirianian is the founding principal of the Christian Democratic Party. According to Wikipedia, Levon Ghazari Shirinyan, born on January 8, 1953, is an Armenian political scientist, public figure, head of the Department of Political Science and History of Law at the Armenian State Pedagogical University, Doctor of Political Sciences (2007), Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Professor. He is the author and host of the program "Quo Vadis" or "Where Are You Going, Armenia" on the news radio. He is one of the pioneers of the political concept of the Fourth Republic of Armenia.”  Vaհe H Apelian

“What does Russia want from Armenia and Armenians?

Let me be blunt: the country's internal instability and division in the world. An internal Armenian conflict, in which case it will implement external conflict management, will give rise to negative domestic developments.

If you are attentive, you will see that it is implementing the tasks I have mentioned with more or less success, especially in the post-war period.

Thanks to this strategy, it keeps Armenia and the Armenians under its control.

That is why it sponsors the anti-state activities of the Russian-loving segment of the Armenians inside the country and outside it, by all possible means. It partially controls the country's main media outlets.

Does it really love the Karabakh clan and the Russianized oligarchs with Armenian surnames?

No. It simply uses them out of disgust. Because in no sphere and nowhere in the world does a traitor have respect.

They flatter a traitor by spitting on him.

Follow the fate of the so-called military-political leadership of Artsakh, sent by the Russians to Baku for prayers, and the odyssey of "patriotism" of Ruben Vardanyan of the "Troika Dialogue" and you will understand everything.

Good morning, Armenia.”

Բնագիրը

Ինչ է ուզում Ռուսաստանը Հայաստանից ու հայությունից?

Ասեմ ուղիղ. երկրի ներքին անկայունություն և պառակտվածություն` աշխարհում: Ներհայկական բախում, որի պարագայում կիրականացնի հակամարտության արտաքին կառավարում, տոն կտա ներպետական բացասական զարգացումներին։

Եթե ուշադիր լինեք, կտեսնեք որ նշածս խնդիրները շատ կամ քիչ հաջողությամբ էլ իրականացնում է, հատկապես հետպատերազմյան շրջանում։

Այդ ստրատեգիայի շնորհիվ Հայաստանը եւ հայությանը պահում է իր վերահսկողության տակ։

Դրա համար էլ հովանավորում է երկրի ներսի ու հայության դրսի ռսասեր հատվածի հակապետական գործունեությունը` բոլոր հնարավոր միջոցներով։ Վերահսկում է մասամբ երկրի գլխավոր լրատվամիջոցները։

Շատ է սիրում ղարաբաղյան կլանին և հայի ազգանունով ռսացած օլիգարխներին?

Ոչ. պարզապես օգտագործում է` զզվելով։ 

Որովհետեւ ոչ մի բնագավառում և ոչ մի տեղ աշխարհում դավաճանը հարգանք չունի 

Դավաճանին շողոքորթում են` վրեն թքելով։

Հետևեք Արցախի` ռուսների կողմից Բաքու նամազի ուղարկված այսպես կոչված ռազմաքաղաքական ղեկավարության ճակատագրին և "Տռոյկա Դիալոգի" Ռուբեն Վարդանյանի "հայրենասիրության" ոդիսականին և դուք ամեն ինչ կհասկանաք։

Բարի լույս, Հայաստան:"

Marie Nichols and her two paintings about Kessab – Keurkune - 1/2

Vahe H Apelian

 

Courtesy Ara Ghazarian

The attached is the only painting of our village Keurkune, Kessab in Syria. I first came across this painting on Ara Ghazarian’s Facebook page and I posted it on my Facebook page. That was twelve years ago, on December 2014. It elicited a few comments. Among them Garo Knoyalian wrote,  “wow, who has done this oil painting and where is the original?”. Stepan J Apelian commented and said, “this painting was framed and on my office wall next to the new keorkune picture. This, was sent to me by late Khachig Chelebian from Australia, but he did not know who was the painter.”

I gathered the following information about the painting from Ara Ghazarian.  The painting belonged to her aunt Marie Ghazarian-Nichols. He said that she had an Armenian painter from Iran in California paint it for her. She had presented to the painter a picture of Keurkune from a pictorial album about Kessab, the Beirut Kessab Association, Ousoumnasirats, had prepared in 1955. The album was dedicated to the Ovsia Saghdejian, the beloved Dayee of Kessab and it was edited by the later bishop Terenig Poladian. We can then conclude that the oil painting depicts Keurkune in 1955 and it was painted a few years later, sometime in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s.

The painting, in fact, depicts Keurkune of my childhood days. I numbered a few landmarks and posted a few comments. Much can be written about this unique village. 

 No 1, is our paternal grandfather’s house built in late 1800’s. My paternal cousins Stepan and Ara were born and raised in that house. Later on, Stepan and Ani raised their children Tsolag, Shoghag, Hovag in that historic house. It still stands, renovated.

Next to it, No. 10, depicts Manesh nanar’s – grandma’s house – at least that is how I remember it. The two houses next to each other had one common wall. 

No. 2 is Keurkune’s unfinished school whose roof remained unfinished for the following many years.  The room of the left room was finished early in late 1960’s where classed were held. The room on the right-hand side was finished later on.  Stepan, had a vision of rendering it into a soap museum. I let him comment about the building.

No. 3 is Keurkune’s historic church built in 1898. Its mason was Arch. Ardavast Terterian’s grandfather. There is much to write about the church and has been written too.

No.4, at the far end of the village is its cemetery.

No. 5, is where the village’s olive oil press – Nofer’s mangana – was located.

No. 6, is the cluster of homes, including my maternal grandmother’s house.

No. 7, the communal threshing lots for the villagers were located, for threshing the harvested wheat. 

No. 8, was our paternal grandfather’s lot where he planted wheat, chickpeas, and later on it became the apple orchard. 

No. 9, is where Chalaba Nanar’s house. She was my maternal grandfather’s Khatcher Chelebian’s sister Marie, married to Hapel Apelian. 

No. 11, I knew the household there are Karakeuni’s. The cluster of the trees there were prime bird hunting ground.

The rest are Apelian, Bedirian, Kerbabian, Chelebian  households. 

Much has changed and there is little resemblance of the way it was.

Marie Ghazarian-Nichols, Courtesy Armenian Weekly 
(see the link)

This is what her nephew Ara Ghazarin wrote about her aunt Marie-Ghazarian-Nichols (1920-2023). "My aunt passed away January 22 at the age of 102. She was born in Keorkune a village near Kessab Syria she was orphaned at young age and sent to an orphanage in Aleppo , she learned nursing in Altounian establishment, she moved to Beirut where her 4 younger brothers and mother were settled. She worked in AUB maternity ward. She also worked in a British hospital in Khan Younes in Gaza Strip working for United Nations. In 1953 she migrated to Canada and lived in Penticton BC. My deepest condolences to her daughter Johanna her son Albert and her twin grandchildren Sienna and Jera.” 

The painting remains with MarieGhazarian-Nichols family, in Canada.

 

Link: In Memory of Marie Marlene Ghazarian Nichols: https://armenianweekly.com/2023/02/19/in-memory-of-marie-marlene-ghazarian-nichols/

A matter of pathos with Vahan Zanoyan

Vaհe H Apelian

I was disturbed to read Vahan Zanoyan headline his latest article as “parallels between the ‘Real Armenia Ideology’ and the Soviet and Turkish approaches to the Armenian Diaspora.”  But, I am not going to comment whether there is a historical justification for such a parallel. I will simply dwell on Vahan Zanoyan’s take on the PM’s ideology which the PM has packaged as Real Armenia Ideology for public consumption. 

Recently the term pathos was used in a debate in the National Assembly. I will make use not only of that term but also its counter term logos. Vahan Zanoyan has led a stellar professional career.  I imagine that throughout his career his logos overrode his pathos. That is to say, the appeal to logic, the use of facts, data, and reasoning, overrode his emotions, and sentiments to chart the course of the companies he led or advised. While logos targets the mind, pathos targets the heart. It is said that logos and pathos, may best work in tandem. Vahan Zanoyan is also a writer. He has published two Armenian poetry books and four novels in English. I have read one of his novel. But when it comes to Armenia, Vahan Zanoyan’s pathos seems to override his logos for Armenia.

I quote the crux of the matter as he words it. He wrote, “I will focus on only one central tenet because it (read REAL ARMENIA) pertains to this issue, namely, equating the motherland with, and restricting it to, the current internationally recognized Armenian state — i.e., the 29,743 sq kms, a map of which the prime minister likes to wave while expounding on the new “ideology.” Everything that falls outside that area is officially excluded from the concerns and responsibilities of the state and is not considered to be part of the motherland.”

His quote chagrins me. I thought that a man of his experience will understand and support the PM whom the citizens of Armenia elected to assure that the 29,743 sq km of the Armenian real estate is not violated and that those who live on that real estate lead an orderly, secure, peaceful, prosperous lives.

What also surprised me is his – Vahan’s - view, if not his belief, that the Republic of Armenia is a depository of Armenian national aspirtations. He is genuinely disturbed that the PM does not act as the guardian of our national aspirations. I was NOT expecting Vahan to have such genuine revulsion at the PM Nikol Pashinyan’s relentless espousing “real Armenia ideology”. On the contrary, I was expecting that he will publicly support the PM’s ideology at this existential junction. The fact of the matter is that the State of Armenia is not a depository of Armenian national aspirations. The State of Armenia is the depository of Armenia’s policies, both internal and foreign to achieve just that, “the 29,743 sq km of the Armenian real estate is not violated and that those who live on that real estate lead an orderly, secure, peaceful, prosperous lives.”

Patriotism is said to be “the emotional attachment, love, and devotion a person feels toward their country or homeland. It involves a sense of loyalty, pride in cultural or political traditions, and a willingness to prioritize the nation's well-being and, in some cases, make sacrifices for its betterment.” Surely, patriotism transcends race. For example, I believe it to be true that “many people in Mexico, along with Mexican-Americans, believe the United States "grabbed" or stole massive amounts of territory (over 1 million square miles) from Mexico during the 19th century,” including the territory that makes the State of New Mexico that was ceded to the U.S. and officially became the 47th U.S. state on January 6, 1912.  I have not read Mexico’s Declaration of Independence, nor its Constitution. But I am sure these two documents that form the basis of the governance of Mexico do not allude to Mexican territories “grabbed” by the United States. 

 If the motherland that Vahan Zanoyan is alluding is historical Armenian lands, he must be aware that for understandable reasons, the principals of the Armenian Statehood have not rendered a claim for anything that is outside the State of Armenia since we established a Free and Independent State on May 28, 1918, to this very day. Vahan Zanoyan may fault the PM Pashinyan for being blunt to that reality. I, on the hand, appreciate the PM’s bluntness, to tell what it is and has been throughout Armenia’s statehood and not be pretensious. I go further and state that any opposition in Armenia to the PM’s Real Armenia Ideology is false, simply because those in Armenia who verbalize against the Real Armenia Ideology, have been proponent of that ideology, when they were in power and will continue to be, once in power.

 Since I alluded to Mexican Declaration of Independence (DOI). I read that it claims independence from the harsh Spanish rule. The American DOI alludes to throwing the yoke of the unfair King of England. Armenia’s Declaration of Impendence has no such wording There is not a single word from what Armenia declared independence and why. Without elaborating further, I say amend the poorly worded and hastily written and evasive Soviet Socialist Republic era Armenian Declaration of Independence, especially its preamble and be and remain truthful to its wording. Armenia’s governance and policies should be a true reflection for attaining the ideals Armenia espouses in its Declaration of Independence. 

As to the Armenian national aspirations, it is the subject that constitutes the core of our existence both in Armenia and in Diaspora and surely is beyond the scope of this blog.

The unforgettable Keurkune

Stepan J Apelian

According to my records, Stepan J Apelian wrote the attached limerick in native Kessab dialect, nine years ago. Stepan is born and raised in Keurkune. The Armenian in blue and the English in red, translations are made. Vaհe H Apelian

 

Keurkune, Kessab, Syria

Իլուօծ իկուօծ ինք Ամիրգան

Ելած եկած ենք Ամերիկա

We moved and came to America.

 

եիտ թուղուօծ ինք զմիր Քուրքունան

Ետ ձցած ենք մեր Քէորքիւնան

We left our Keurkune behind.

 

Զան իրուօզիս հատսնէմ

Զայն երազիս մէջ կը տեսնեմ

I see it in my dreams.

 

Ումօտ չունէմ ղուրպէթիէն

Յոյս չունիմ օտարութիւնէն

I have no hope from abroad.

 

Հէմու էրկիէք ծոռ նստենք ուղղուրդ զուրիցինք

Հիմա ծուռ նստինք շիտակ խօսինք

Լet us face it and speak truthfully.

 

Սէարպասդ Գիէղը թուղիլուօն

Ազատ համարձակ գիւղը ձգելով

Leaving the freely roaming village behind,

 

Մէմլէքէթէն զուգագնէն Գալապու

Քաղաքին խճօղուած փողոցները

The congested streets of the city,

 

Չընկարնուօր ըզմի մարցըսնիլ զՔուրքունու

Զեն կրնար մեզ մոռցնել տալ Քէորքիւնան

Cannot let us forget our Keurkune.

 

Ստեփան Աբէլեան

Stepan J Apelian

An anniversary that was not meant to be – 2026

Vaհe H Apelian

Courtesy Horizon Weekly

 It appears that ARF Day has turned into a yearly anniversary celebration it was not meant to be.

A few days ago, I read, in the in Horizon Weekly  in translation that, “On Sunday, March 1, 2026, at 6:00 PM, a solemn celebration dedicated to the 135th anniversary of the ARF took place in the “Aharonian” Hall of the Armenian Center of Montreal, under the slogan “Unity for Statehood,” 

I wrote this blog in 2023. I am reproducing it.  I had forwarded it as follows: “Lately it has become common place to come across on the Armenian social media, announcements of the ARF Day celebrations with most of them, if not all of them, noting ARF’s anniversary celebration. For example, on January 25, 2023, Sossi Essajanian reported in the Armenian Weekly that the Detroit Armenian community celebrated 132 years of the ARF. The poster for ARF Day in Lebanon also noted the 132nd anniversary.”

I am not sure at what point noting the ARF-Day turned into anniversary celebration. But historically the decision to denote a day in a year to ARF came about during the 10th ARF World Congress that took place in Paris, France on November 17, 1924, and lasted until January 17, 1925. Observing the ARF Day was not meant to be an anniversary celebration.

The ARF had held the previous 9th World Congress in Armenia for the very first time. The 9th World Congress had lasted from September 27, to October 30, 1919, in Yerevan.  A year and a few months later, the short-lived Republic of Armenia lost its independence. Many of the principals that had founded the first republic, had fled to Diaspora escaping the communist retribution. They were formally getting together for first time at the 10th World Congress. A few months after concluding the congress, on July 25, 1925, Simon Vratsian reflected upon the 10th World Congress in the ARF organ “Troshag” and wrote: “This World Congress was not just an ordinary convention of a political party, but a kind of parliament.” 

 It is that World Congress that ruled that once a year, preferably in the month of November, ARF presented itself to the public and addressed the issues the Armenian nation faced and elaborated to the public the contributions the ARF made to meet the challenges of the day.

The first ARF Day likely took place the following year, in 1926. The eminent editor of the “Haratch Daily”in Paris, Shavarsh Missakian, in a 1926 editorial wrote “The ARF Day is not an anniversary in the literal sense of the word, nor a commemoration of this or that great event, but the condensation of the history of an entire period, with its victories and upheaval. The ARF, established for itself a special day in a year, not only to look at its past 35 years with just pride, as the most powerful impetus to the Armenian liberation struggle, but also to renew itself, to strengthen itself.”

The ARF Day is celebrated regionally, because each region has its own challenges for the ARF to respond. Quoting Shavarsh Missakian, ARF Day is not meant to be “an anniversary celebration in the literal sense of the word.” The number of years since its founding, surely can be noted of course, but that is incidental. 

The ARF Day is simply an annual public report to the stakeholder, who naturally is the Armenian people. More than anything else, I liken it to a State of the Armenians, addressed to the local community. Did ARF, through the services it rendered to the local community, better serve the challenges Armenians face? Surely the challenges the Diaspora faces are different than the challenges of Armenia faces.  In fact, different regions of the Diaspora face their own challanges.

It appears the once-a-year ARF address to its local community has turned more into an anniversary celebration of sort. It also appears that the attendees and the participants wearing an ARF scarf over their shoulders has also become fashionable. 

ARF day is simply a day of accounting and reflection to renew itself, and to strengthen itself to better serve the Armenian nation through the services it rendered and renders to the region.

 

Diplomat’s Day - Դիվանագետի Օր

Vaհe H Apelian

Did you know that Armenia has an official observation day called Diplomat’s Day?

Do not be surprised at yourself if you too did not know that Armenia has such a day for observation.

In fact, I came to find out that particular observation day was enacted on March 22, 2012 by the President Serzh Sargsyan government. The official announcement I came across reads as follows: “In accordance with Article 18 of the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Holidays and Commemorative Days of the Republic of Armenia”, the Government of the Republic of Armenia hereby decides:

1. To celebrate March 2 as Diplomat's Day.

2. This decision shall enter into force on the day following its official publication.” The date is March 26, 2012.

I had not seen the day observed until today, on March 2, 2026.  The Armenian Foreign Ministry under the auspices of the FM Ararat Mirzoyan observed the Diplomat’s Day with the PM Nikol Pashinyan’s participating in the ceremony.

I attached excerpts from FM Ararat Mirzoyan’s and PM Nikol Pashinyan’s messages at the Diplomat’s Day.

THE FOREIGN MINISTER ARARAT MIRZOYAN, in his speech emphasized that the: “Recent years have shown that diplomacy is indeed one of the key components of our sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security architecture. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the first line of defense for our security is diplomacy, a balanced and balancing foreign policy, which, in the conditions of current movements or stormy seas, has allowed us to sail safely and bring the ship of our statehood to peaceful waters.”

THE PRIME MINISTER NIKOL PASHINYAN congratulated the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and all diplomats on their professional day. He thanked them for their service and emphasized that it is extremely important to realize the role and significance of diplomacy and the diplomatic service in the development of our country. 

The PM Nikol Pashinyan, noted that we should pay more attention to the role of diplomacy and the diplomatic service in the security and normal development of the country, because, he said “when we say security, we usually always mean the army. But later we realized that the more we associate security with the army, the more it means there is a lack of security or the more it means the security situation or condition is not good, and on the contrary, the more we mean soft factors when we say security, as is commonly said, it means there is a more reliable level of security.”

In our tortuous history our freedom fighters rightly clung to the notion that the salvation is only by guns (Միայն զէնքով կայ Հայոց փրկութիւն). Khrimian Hayring is his historic Paper Laddle speech, after his return from the Berlin Conference, advocated people buy and gift each other guns.

We all have an understanding of the symbolic significance of guns. The United States Constitution has enshrined it in its famous Second Amendment. However, the United States of America does not rely on guns, as we understand guns, for its security.

But we know that what constitutes the might of the United States is its learned advanced society and technology for which the United States government educates its young and upcoming citizens to keep pace with the advancing technology and goes to the end of the world to recruit educated people to advance its technological know how. The United Sates, naturally, like any advanced society, also maintains a superb cadre of diplomats across the world to keep the republic safe and resorts also to diplomacy to advance its security.

So is for Armenia. Diplomacy is a powerful component for keeping Armenia safe and secure. Armenia’s Diplomat’s Day rightly advances that notion and appreciates its diplomats spread across the globe who toil to advance the interests, the safety and the security of the republic. Armenia's diplomats deserve our unconditional appreciation and support in the Diaspora. Surely such a day is appropriate for appreciating the republic's diplomats, and should be observed every year.