Armenian President Armen Sarkissian issued the following unedited statement today to mark Labour Day.

The day is a global commemoration of the achievements of the labor movement. The holiday may also be known as International Workers’ Day or May Day. 

Dear compatriots,

Today is Labour Day, which reminds us that it is necessary to work, even if it is difficult and the situation is critical; this is a personal, national, and state necessity.

Each of us has the potential to do more, to achieve more, to awaken or reactivate that hidden ability in us.

Anyone who wants to serve his family, homeland, and people should be able and have the opportunity to do so. There should be no obstacles to that.

We have had generations of talented scientists, successful entrepreneurs, famous politicians, talented artists, musicians, and writers, good craftsmen, and farmers.

Let us be the inheritors of the talents, abilities, and skills of our ancestors; let us be a society that creates homeland, a society that builds homeland.

We must form the agenda of our country, especially the development agenda, and make it a reality with our work: the work of servicemen and pedagogues, doctors and programmers, peasants and archaeologists, cleaners and workers, diplomats and border guards, officials and actors, civil servants and artists.

Our priority tasks should be to straighten the country's back politically and economically, morally and physically, to eliminate the immediate consequences of the war, and to fight the coronavirus.

Only joint work can become the lifeline of our homeland to get out of the current situation and recover from the wounds received.

I wish everyone believed and worked to the best of their abilities to get closer to the time of success. Believe and create that time, believe and build that success.