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Remarks by Ambassador Arman Kirakossian on the Occasion of the First Anniversary of the Tragic Assassinations in the Armenian Parliament

President George Washington Memorial
Mount Vernon, VA

October 27, 2000

We are gathered here today for a solemn occasion, to honor the memory of Armenian leaders who fell victims to a terrorist attack one year ago. Last year, on October 27 Speaker Karen Demirchian and Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsian were brutally assassinated by a group of fanatics in the chamber of the Armenian Parliament. With their deaths, Armenia was plunged into an abyss of uncertainty and grief. Yet, like the Biblical Jonah, we Armenians have found in ourselves the will to emerge from the abyss and move forward toward our national goals. We appreciate greatly the support and sympathy extended to our nation in this trying hour.

Alas, no nation is immune to terrorism, domestic or external. The cowardly attack on U.S. destroyer Cole two weeks ago is another reminder that the democratic nations need to be vigilant against such threats. Armenia's prayers go to the family of the victims, and we share with the United States the pain of this loss.

We are gathered here, at the majestic and inspiring Mount Vernon Memorial, next to the final resting place of the great statesman, democrat, and citizen, President George Washington. Our presence here is not a coincidence. On October 2, 1999, four weeks before his young life was ended on such a tragic note, Prime Minister Sargsian visited Mount Vernon on the last day of his official visit to the United States.

Prime Minister Sargsian was given a warm welcome and an excellent tour of the Memorial. The serene and magnificent setting of the Mount Vernon Memorial, as well as the life story of President Washington, the general-turned-statesman could not but affect him. He thought of this occasion as the high point of his visit to the United States. Many parallels can be drawn here. Armenia, though an ancient country, is a young democracy, and has much to learn and acquire from the experience of the United States.

Armenia stands committed to building an open, prosperous, and progressive society, and implementing the necessary democratic, economic, and legal reforms. Yet we also recognize the importance of true leadership and patriotic duty. That George Washington continues to inspire millions Americans two centuries after his death is a testimony to the depth of his dedication and wisdom. The United States was lucky to have him among its founding fathers and as its first President, who is also setting high standards for the leaders of newly established democracies.

The visit to Mount Vernon must have evoked in Prime Minister his own dreams of a truly free, independent, and prosperous Armenia. It is these dreams that the group of terrorists on October 27, 1999 tried to shatter - and failed. Armenia withstood the shock of violence, as it survived many other threats during its millennia-long history.

So, as we stand here today, we mourn the untimely and tragic deaths Prime Minister Sargsian and Speaker Demirchian, and their colleagues in the Government. It will be up to see to spare no effort to make sure that their dreams of a democratic and prosperous homeland are fulfilled.

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