Pashinyan, Sarkissian Attend Homenetmen Centennial Celebration in Yerevan

YEREVAN—The Homenetmen family, which has been celebrating the organization’s centennial in Armenia with various events, including a scouting jamboree and a parade of athletes and scouts at Republic Square, held a celebration event on Tuesday at the Alexander Spendaryan Opera and Ballet Theater with a capacity crowd in attendance that included Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Armen Sarkissian.

In his remarks at the celebration, Pashinyan congratulated the athletic and scouting organization and hailed the fact that centennial jubilee was being held in Armenia after the dramatic events, which ushered in a new era for Armenian around the world.

“Allow me to say that the recent peaceful, velvet, democratic revolution in Armenia in fact brought to life Homenetmen’s motto of ‘elevate yourself and elevate other with you,” said Pashinyan referencing the organization traditional maxim.

“What happened in the Republic of Armenia?” asked Pashinyan. “The poor citizens rose up and elevated their homeland, their name and their status in their own homeland,” added Pashinyan, who was greeted with fervent applause and cheers by the participants of the event.

“This is a very important achievement: but this is not all we want to achieve. We should continue… elevating our our homeland. We hope the citizens of Armenia will continue their path, will develop it, will take flight toward our national aspirations and dreams,” said Pashinyan.

“Today we are calling on everyone to come and collectively elevate [our homeland]. We are inviting our Diaspora businessmen to the Republic of Armenia to rise with their civic consciousness, the consciousness of their duty before the law and rise in terms of their personal and business achievements,” explained Pashinyan.

He stated that the Homenetmen has played a critical role in the history of the Armenian people and continues to do so.

“It’s symbolic that the 100th anniversary of the Homenetmen, founded in Istanbul, is being celebrated in Yerevan, the capital of independent and free Armenia. This also symbolizes our vision toward the future,” expressed.

“This is the mission that unites us, and we should definitely emerge victorious in this mission. Long live freedom, long live the Republic of Armenia, long live our children who live and will live in free and happy Armenia,” concluded Pashinyan.

Asbarez will provide detailed coverage of the Homenetmen Centennial events in Armenia in its future editions.