Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivered speeches in Paris municipality and at the meeting with the Armenian community in Paris on September 14.

We have selected several noteworthy passages from his speeches.

Square of France, French Revolution and historical parallels

The Armenian revolution actually started from the Square of France which features one of Rodin’s masterpieces that France has donated to Armenia.

Every time I spoke at the Square of France standing by Rodin’s masterpiece, I evoked stories related to different revolutions in the past. I realized the progress brought to mankind through different revolutions, but at the same time I remembered the misery that revolutions have brought to peoples.

As I recalled the history of the French Revolution and other revolutions, a very clear problem came to be formulated before us, namely to make a revolution that will lead to progress, will lead to new opportunities, and will rule out a new tide of suffering.

Photo: Press service of the Armenian government

And we succeeded in carrying out a revolution of love and solidarity, a revolution carried out for the sake of citizens’ happiness, freedom and without any suffering.

Armenia and the Diaspora, citizenship and passport

Since Armenia gained independence, the dispute revolved around the relationship between the republic and the Diaspora, the definition of the identity of those living in Armenia and outside of the country.

Finally, after a long period of uncertainty, we have reached the point where Armenian Prime Minister can address Armenians in any part of the world as “my dear people, the proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia” because citizenship is not the passport or residence, not the place of resident registration.

Citizenship is awareness and feeling that came after the velvet revolution, which united all Armenians around the civil awareness. We all realized we are Armenian citizens regardless of where we live, whether we were born in Armenia, whether we will even return there.

Photo: Press service of the Armenian government

Armenia is the common identity of us all, the native country and the place of residence, the homeland, the dream, the goal and the victory of us all. This is a victory we created together, so now we must keep and enjoy it together.

Dreaming and realizing the dreams

There was a nation that did not have faith in its power and future, and now there is a nation that believes in its power and future, and that nation is victorious.

There is a time to dream and there is a time to realize the dream. A few months ago we lived through the time of dreaming and now it is the time to realize our dreams. As a nation, we have reached the period of time where we make our dreams come true.

Yes, it is time now to have each other’s back and work together to realize the dreams that the Armenian people have dreamed for millennia. We are now a nation standing tall, with our backs straight, and we are moving towards realization of our dreams.

Photo: Press service of the Armenian government

Repatriation

This topic must be ever present in every Armenian family living in the Diaspora. No matter how many of the people I see here come back. If they ever do, that is great, if their children are the ones to repatriate, that is great, and if it is their grandchildren who come back to Armenia, that is great too. What matters is that every Armenia’s goal is to return to Armenia. And the idea of repatriation must be in our identity and in the upbringing we give to our children.