President Vahagn Khachaturyan's message on the occasion of Armenia's Independence Day

Dear compatriots,

Today we celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Armenia. During the past three decades, our young republic has overcome difficult trials, sometimes with incredible effort, because the newly independent statehood was forced to face the challenges of war, economic crisis, and radical transformations of the state administration system almost simultaneously.

But as a nation, as a state, we were able to strengthen and get back on our feet, having suffered irreversible and heavy losses, finding ways out of seemingly hopeless situations. We were able to because on September 21, 1991, our citizens took their conscious step towards the creation of a free, independent and sovereign state.

Dear people,

For all of us, independence is not a good idea or an end in itself, but a continuous movement, a struggle to create our destiny by our own will, for the independent determination of the form and character of our Homeland and state, the ultimate goal of which is a free, responsible, constantly developing and creative person and citizen.

Freedom is a state of mind and content for both a citizen and the state, а daily tireless work, care, the joy of dedication, the joy of victory and the pain of loss, and in the sum of all this the highest awareness of responsibility․

Today, as 33 years ago, the challenges facing our state are not less, but the past decades also prove that any obstacle can be overcome with unity, solidarity and determination. I also hope that for the sake of our present and tomorrow, for the sake of the safe, dignified and prosperous future of our children and grandchildren, and for the benefit of the Republic of Armenia, we are firm in our decision to have our own place among the states of the world. I am confident that the Armenia of our dreams will be built with the collective efforts of our citizens.

Once again, I congratulate all of us on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the Republic of Armenia.