Samvel Karapetyan addressed his supporters: Armenia must become a safe, peaceful, prosperous, and strong country

ArmInfo. Armenia must become a secure, peaceful, prosperous, and strong country—a country where leaders will not empty the budget for personal enrichment, but, on the contrary, empty their own pockets for the well-being of the homeland. This was stated by businessman Samvel Karapetyan, leader of the Strong Armenia party, in a video address to participants of a rally convened today by the political force in Yerevan's Freedom Square.

"I am under arrest for defending the church and our identity. I have raised my voice against a regime that keeps our people in poverty, war, fear, and disunity. Although I am not with you personally now, I join the voices of all of you. Together, we are a force that will bring change, and this force is unstoppable," Karapetyan said.

He added that his political force must win the elections decisively, removing from power the small group that disgraces the Armenian people, humiliates the state, and destroys the foundations of Armenian statehood.

"We are all ready to sacrifice everything for Armenia. Meanwhile, Pashinyan is sacrificing everything for his seat. Now let them listen to us – we are saying that change is coming. Together with our team, we will create a strong Armenian economy with new factories, 300,000 new jobs, a radical improvement in people's lives, and new opportunities for business and agriculture. In the modern world, a strong economy strengthens diplomacy and defense, and we will have strong diplomacy and strong defense, with a protected skies and a professionally equipped army that truly guarantees peace not with words but with deeds. Armenia must become a secure, peaceful, prosperous, and strong country, a country where rulers do not empty the budget or line their own pockets, but, on the contrary, empty their pockets for the well-being of our homeland. Justice and internal solidarity in Armenia will be eternal," Karapetyan promised, adding that he guarantees the fulfillment of all the above promises.

He further emphasized that the "regime" in Armenia is frightening people with war, even naming a deadline – September – since, according to him, that's the month the 44-day, brutal war of 2020 began. "In September, aggression against Armenia's territorial integrity began, in September, the forced de-Armenization of Artsakh and ethnic cleansing began – wars in which Pashinyan lost. Are we really going to allow him to lose another war for Armenia? I'm sure we won't. My promise is that if we win and I'm elected prime minister, the coming September and the following months will be peaceful," he said, urging everyone to remain optimistic.

The businessman emphasized that Armenia can be strong, and their political strength can achieve long-term peace. He added that Armenia will no longer be weak. "We will be strong in Moscow and restore damaged relations. We will be strong in Washington, London, and Beijing. The regime has corroded relations with the diaspora, and only with us can we restore the diaspora's potential," he added.

Karapetyan also urged people not to be disheartened by the repression and persecution, adding that the authorities may even arrest and detain them, but they will not be able to prevent them from bringing about change. "We will replace their false and incomprehensible hearts with our true Armenian hearts. We will never forget that the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church is our heart, Mount Ararat is our heart. We need a major victory in the elections so that we can more quickly implement all the large-scale programs and changes that the Armenian people have long deserved. The power is in your hands; begin the changes, and I will make them a reality," Karapetyan continued.

In conclusion, he announced that he was handing over the management of the largest Armenian business he built to his children, and would serve his country and change the lives of Armenian citizens for a better future. "The time for change has come, I will be with you soon, don't doubt it for a second, justice will prevail," Karapetyan concluded.

After Karapetyan's speech, the political rally was declared over, and citizens marched from Freedom Square through Yerevan's central streets. They chanted, "Samvel – Prime Minister!"

According to footage from the rally, Freedom Square was completely filled with citizens. Earlier today, it was reported that the authorities had prevented Samvel Karapetyan's supporters from arriving in Yerevan from the provinces. Despite this, the square was full.