The President of the Republic of Artsakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, issued a message on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Karabakh movement. The message reads:
“Dear compatriots,
February 20, 1988 entered the history of the Armenian people as a turning point and decisive day, and became a symbol of the rebirth of our national spirit, the unity and consolidation of all Armenians. It was marked as the day of Artsakh’s revival.
That day, the extraordinary session of the Regional Council of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast held in Stepanakert adopted a historic decision, by which the decades-long struggle of the Armenians of Artsakh for the protection of their rights and freedoms and national dignity gained legal force. We declared to the world our decisive and unshakable will to live freely, independently and united in our ancestral land, and to determine our own destiny autonomously.
35 years on, our decision remains unchanged, our spirit unbroken, our path unwavering. The people of Artsakh, under blockade for more than two months, have proven with their endurance and steadfastness that, as in the historic ’88, so today, they are masters of their decision, masters of their chosen path, and of their forefathers’ land, which has always been and must remain Armenian.
We are deeply grateful and indebted to all those who stand with us on this difficult road, to all our compatriots in Mother Armenia and the Diaspora, to Artsakh’s faithful friends in various corners of the world, who through their support impart boundless strength to us in our struggle for the protection of universal values, the fundamental norms and principles of democracy.
I bow my head before the bright memory of our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sacred cause of defending the homeland. They are always with us, by our side, and lead us on our path of building Artsakh’s future. We are obliged to do everything so that the sacred aspirations and goals of our heroes become reality.
May God grant our people peace, strength and vigor, firm faith and hope, to worthily overcome all trials and bring to life our nationwide programs and dreams.”
