SARDARAPAT, Armenia – The second Armenian Democratic Liberal Party (ADL) youth assembly took place on May 20 in the Sardarapat Complex.
Approximately 450 newly enrolled ADL members participated, along with some party leaders from Armenia and various diasporan communities, such as Vartan Nazerian, president of the ADL Supreme Council and Hagop Avedikian, chairman of the Central Committee.
Ozheni Avetisyan, chair of the ADL youth group of Armavir, led the opening ceremonies and acted as master of ceremonies throughout the event. After she spoke, Andranik Surenyan, representative of the Vanadzor Province ADL, took the floor.
Edmond Y. Azadian, member of the ADL Supreme Council and president of the Tekeyan Cultural Association of the United States and Canada, delivered his words of welcome, recalling the vital role of the Battle of Sardarapat and its significance in the history of the Armenian people. He noted the undeniable participation of the ADL in this victory.
Azadian said, “Sardarapat is not a monument. It is not stone and wood. Sardarapat is blood. Today we stand on the blood of the martyrs of the heroic Battle of Sardarapat of one hundred years ago. I want you to be aware of this because we turned that blood into life. Thanks to that blood spilled here one hundred years ago, we today have an independent homeland, and in that matter, the ADL had its role. Today we humble ourselves before that blood, we humble ourselves before those heroes, who spilled that blood. We humble ourselves so that today you, you youth, proudly stand in front of this monument and swear in their name that our homeland will continue for one hundred more years, and for one thousand more years. It will continue, since we are taking an oath on the blood of our heroes that the Armenians are a people who have the right to live. Dear youth, you are the generation inheriting Sardarapat. You must live long so that our homeland lives long.”
The centennial ceremony of the Sardarapat Battle coincided with the solemn oath-taking ceremony of the newly enrolled young members of the ADL. Nazerian, Azadian and Vartkes Kourouyan conducted it in unison.
