Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan marked the 35th anniversary of Armenia’s Declaration of Independence with a statement reflecting on the country’s past and laying out his government's strategic vision for the future.

In a message shared on social media, Pashinyan described the August 23, 1991 declaration—adopted by the Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR—as a historic turning point:

“The Declaration marked the beginning of the process of establishing our independent statehood, the Republic of Armenia. It expressed the collective mood of the political and intellectual elite of the time, bore the stamp of the Karabakh movement, and predetermined the key features of the newly formed Republic.”

Reflecting on the lead-up to the 2020 war, Pashinyan defended the government's refusal to make concessions, stating that such compromises would have led to increased threats and dependencies:

“We would have disproportionately increased all the threats and dependencies, leading to the loss of Armenia’s independence and statehood.”

He emphasized that his government instead adopted a strategy to preserve and realize Armenia’s independence:

“The expression of that strategy is the ideology of the Real Armenia—under which peace with Azerbaijan became possible, under which authentic dialogue with Turkey became possible, and under which our relations with Georgia and the Islamic Republic of Iran should deepen. Under these conditions, we become an authentic and engaging partner for the world.”

Pashinyan concluded by reaffirming Armenia's commitment to sovereignty, regional cooperation, and building meaningful international partnerships.