Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, in a statement marking today’s 31st anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of Artsakh, declared that Artsakh must continue on the path to independence despite the disastrous defeat of Armenian military forces in the 2020 war.

“The 44-day war of 2020 became a new disaster for the Armenian people, taking the lives of thousands of our brave sons and destroying the destinies of many. We are grateful to all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the independence of the Motherland and the dignified existence of the Armenian people. We bow to their bright memory and proud relatives,” Harutyunyan’s statement reads.

He thanked Russia for sending a peacekeeping contingent to the region and to all those in Armenia and the diaspora “who have been by our side all these years, remaining faithful to justice and humanity. and the universal values ​​of democracy.”

“After 31 years, the people of Artsakh firmly and decisively declare that, despite all the tests of time, they remain faithful to their decision and their chosen path, which is irreversible and unbroken.