Republic of Armenia is 20 years old
Twenty years ago, on September 21, the cherished dream of Armenian people came true - Armenia became an independent country.
Two decades ago, the citizens of the Armenian Republic, who cast their votes for independence, began writing the history of their Homeland, building the future of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, building the Armenia of today and tomorrow.
"Today is the moment when each Armenian should feel responsible in front of others and in front of his conscience. I think that our people will be clean before their conscience," the last president of the Supreme Council Levon Ter-Petrosyan said twenty years ago when responding to a journalist after the vote.
He was confident that the referendum would ensure irreversible independence for the Armenian people. After the vote, answering the central television Ter-Petrosyan underlined that it was a voluntary choice.
September 21, 1991, was a real holiday for the Armenian people who were dancing and singing at Republican Square all day long. The whole nation, including ordinary people and voters, who had made the most important and meaningful choice in their lives, were celebrating the event.
And despite the difficulties and disasters the country encountered during the three years preceding the independence referendum, Armenians realized that only independence would enable them to protect Armenia and Artsakh and the interests of the Armenian people.
Armenians were able to overcome all difficulties on their way. Surely, they had great expectations from independence, part of which remained unrealized. The grave socio-economic conditions overshadowed the sublime idea the Armenian people had been struggling for throughout centuries.
The first years of independence were difficult for the country and its people - blockade, war, refugees and disastrous earthquake.
But Armenians lived, won a war and gave a new generation - generation of independence which values the price of independence paid by their parents in 1991.
Today we have a state, we have an army, capable of protecting our Homeland and we have a will to consolidate and strengthen our statehood.
