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.

“FOREIGN MINISTER ARARAT MIRZOYAN, in his speech, the RA Foreign Minister emphasized: “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. 

But we also know what constitutes the might of the United States is its 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 technology 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 secure and to advance security in the world.

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.