The greatest achievement of our nation since independence - the Armenian army -  has turned 30. We talked to Narek Beglaryan, member of the Board of Directors of ARARATBANK OJSC, about the challenges encountered in the army in the post-war period, the ways to overcome them, and the formulas for getting back on our feet again.

- Mr. Beglaryan, the defeat in the 44-day war as well as the post-war chaos are affecting, above all, the Armed Forces. In your opinion, what should every Armenian do to bring about positive changes?

- In light of the current situation, the first thing each of us has to do is to  keep living and working in Armenia, trying to get back on our feet right in our homeland. After suffering so many losses, we should have many children, especially male children. Each of us should also make self-reflection to be able to see the mistakes made during the war and try to move forward by repairing those mistakes. No matter how many times a man falls, he should make efforts to rise on his feet. It was not for nothing that Garegin Nzhdeh said: “One cannot help the fallen if she or he lacks the will to stand up". We are to move forward by reaching out to one another, thinking about the future, bearing in mind that the strong army is the most important element in the future of the country and our security.  As Khrimian Hayrik would say: "When I went to the Berlin Congress to raise the rights of our people around the world, only then did I realize that we must first have the right to have a right. That right is acquired with weapons”.

- You joined the Armenian army in the early 2000s. What are the similarities and differences between the Armed Forces of today and yesterday and what would you particularly like to see changed?

- While in the military, certain changes had already taken place. Looking back through the years, it was a kind of colonialism that once prevailed in the army. I think that now the situation has changed for the better both in terms of food and discipline․ Today we need to think about both upgrading, modernizing the armament and lifting the spirit of our soldiers.

We are to encourage our soldiers with a number of victories in various fields and show that unity and cohesion can yet again lead to victories.

- Mr. Beglaryan, have your companies taken steps towards strengthening the army over the years?

- At various times - before, during and after the war - our companies came up with various initiatives to assist the army, but I will refrain from mentioning specific figures, because I believe that charity should be done in silence. I will simply mention that both our companies and our family were engaged in providing financial and non-financial support to the army (helmets, flak jackets, night vision devices, medicine, food, fuel, and so on). Besides, we provided shelters to our compatriots replaced from Artsakh during and after the war.

- I know that AraratBank has financed the documentary “The will to get back on your feet again", which was premiered on January 28. Why this particular film?

- After the war, our society was devastated and despaired. We have been thinking of how to help people, try to encourage them, and this film is about our victories and our mistakes in the past - how we fell at different times and how we managed to organize ourselves, pull together and get back on our feet. Armenians succeed in coming together in the hour of need, and once we stick together, we become invincible. This film is a real textbook: it inspires and guides you in how to get back on your feet. In addition to schools, the documentary can be also screened in military units to inspirit and encourage Armenian soldiers. They will see that we have found ourselves in even worse and more hopeless situations, but we have stood up to be on the winning side again.



We are the Chosen People, the first to embrace Christianity. We should be able to see and admit our mistakes, to walk with God, and God will turn to us again and will give us victories. We have strayed from our roots and our faith: Christianity seems to be merely perceived as a cultural component.
After all, it is no coincidence that Noah’s Ark landed on Mount Ararat, and that life re-evolved at the foot of Mount Ararat. I believe that if we get back to our roots and live with a word of God, success will again follow us.

Narek Beglaryan wrapped up his speech by quoting Garegin Nzhdeh and stating that he would wish for each of us to live in this spirit and state of mind, remaining worthy sons and daughters of our homeland:

"You can be in the homeland, but not from the homeland, you can live in the homeland, but not belong to it.

In the long run, you can own a homeland legally and be stateless spiritually.

You don't deserve your homeland if you don’t avow it as a supreme goal and yourself as a medium”.