30 years ago, on September 2, 1991, on the basis of the USSR Law On Procedure for Resolving Questions Connected with a Union Republic’s Secession from the USSR, the joint session of deputies of all levels of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region and the Shahumyan region proclaimed the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh laying the foundations of building a statehood based on democratic values and principles.
The Declaration of Independence was the legal expression of the strong will of the Armenians of Artsakh to live free and secure in their homeland, which has been confirmed by the referendum of independence held on December 10, 1991. It has been imposed through the decades long policy of discrimination and repressions against the Armenian population by the Azerbaijani SSR aimed at annihilating Armenians from Artsakh, which was stated at the highest level by the Azerbaijani authorities throughout years.
By adopting the Declaration of Independence through the Referendum, the people of Artsakh sought to transform the Nagorno-Karabakh issue from the logic of confrontation to the political dimension through legal expression, in order to achieve a just solution to the issue based on the principles and norms of international law.
In response to the legitimate aspirations of the Armenians of Artsakh, the Azerbaijani authorities, pursuing the policy of ethnic cleansing in Artsakh and in the Armenian-populated areas of Azerbaijan, unleashed a large-scale war against the Republic of Artsakh.
The Armenophobic policy and constant threats pursued by the Azerbaijani authorities at the state level, the military aggressions of 2016 and especially 2020 against Artsakh accompanied by intentional targeting of the civilian population and infrastructure, as well as the deliberate and planned destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage, demonstrate that the Armenians of Artsakh continue to counter the threat of physical existence and cannot live under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan.
The heroic fight of the people of Artsakh for the sake of its existence and identity is an example of patriotism, courage and endurance for all Armenians. And on this historic day, we bow before those who sacrificed their lives for the protection and freedom of Artsakh.
Over the past 30 years, Artsakh has been able to establish resilient public administration bodies and hold elections which meet international standards, electing its legal representatives and building democratic institutions.
The Republic of Armenia will consistently defend the realization of the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination, to free and dignified life in their homeland, as a basis for a just and lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and for the establishment of sustainable peace in the region.
