Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan convened a festive reception in Gyumri on the 28th anniversary of Armenia’s independence. At the reception, the Premier issued a congratulatory message on the occasion of Independence Day.

“Dear President of the Republic of Armenia,
Dear President of the Republic of Artsakh,
Your Holiness,
Dear National Assembly Speaker,
Dear members of government,
Foreign diplomats,
Statesmen, distinguished guests,

Today is September 21 - one of the most important days in our people’s history, a great holiday, which marks the independence referendum held on September 21, 1991, where 98% of Armenia’s population voted for independence.

This is a process that reached its climax on September 21, 1991. This process began in 1988 with the Karabakh movement, when our people in the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh expressed a desire to be free, united and strong. Far before the referendum of September 21, 1991 – on August 23, 1990 - the Declaration of Independence of Armenia was adopted to herald de jure the Armenian people’s journey to independence.

Immediately after gaining independence and recognition as a subject of international law, our people faced serious challenges in the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh. In fact, the conflict that had started several years ago turned into a full-fledged war in which the Armenian people were able to win thanks to their unity and unbreakable will. This victory was made possible, first of all, owing to our freedom-fighters who volunteered to defend their homeland. They fulfilled their mission with dignity and did not allow the enemy to trample their homeland, after which a much more complex process of state building began.

And we saw a lot of disappointments during the years of independence, we saw emigration, we saw economic and political difficulties; we witnessed a bitter process, when media outlets kept asking what would be the result if a referendum on independence was held 5, 10, 15, or 20 years after 1991.

I myself was convinced that at all times, whenever a referendum on independence was held, our people would say “yes” to independence. I never doubted this, but I must note that during this period there were many doubts, and, in the end, the answer to this question was also given, because I believe that in April-May 2018, we saw a new a referendum on independence, and the hundreds of thousands of citizens who took to the square, took to the streets in the Republic of Armenia and the Diaspora, confidently said a decisive “yes” to the independence of the Republic of Armenia.

It was a new referendum on independence, which showed that over the past 27 years, the Armenian people did not give up their will for independent statehood, sovereignty, democracy, but instead had became more decisive, more confident and stronger on their feet.

Today is September 21 that we have celebrated for 28 years, and we have gathered here to once again confirm that the independent state of Armenia will henceforth exist on this planet forever, and that the Armenian people have enough will, enough wisdom, enough knowledge, enough talent and enough determination to create and bear the burden of statehood on their shoulders, and to live freely and happily in this statehood as proud citizens of a free country.

And therefore, long live freedom, long live the Republic of Armenia, long live the Republic of Artsakh, long live we and our children as we now live and will live in a free and happy Armenia. Long live our grandchildren, long live our great-grandchildren, long live the grandchildren of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren who will live in a free, happy, strong, invincible and victorious Armenia.”