ArmInfo.The Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the declaration of independence of the Republic of Artsakh. Thus, the statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reads in part: "On September 2, 1991, the joint session of the deputies of all levels of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region and Shahumyan region adopted the declaration of independence of Nagorno-Karabakh.
This step was the logical consequence of the policy of ethnic cleansing against Armenians by the Azerbaijani SSR, which is still manifested today.
In contrary to the constant statements by the authorities of Azerbaijan that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Nagorno-Karabakh territorial unit no longer exist, it is a fact that around one hundred and twenty thousand Armenians continue to live in Nagorno-Karabakh, and as a member of the international community, they have equal and inalienable rights, and the conflict cannot be considered as resolved until the core needs of the Armenians of Artsakh are not addressed.
Ensuring the security and rights of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh as well as a comprehensive and lasting resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by using the experience and potential of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, continue to be a milestone for achieving stability and peace in the South Caucasus.
The Republic of Armenia continues to be committed to providing all the necessary conditions for the secure life of the people of Artsakh in their homeland." It should be recalled that on September 2, 1991, at the joint session of the Nagorno-Karabakh regional and Shahumyan district Councils of People's MPs, a Declaration was adopted on the proclamation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic within the borders of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAO) and the Shahumyan region.
Thus, the right that reflected in the legislation in force at that time, in particular, in the law adopted on April 3, 1990, which provided for the granting to national autonomies of the right to independently determine their state-legal status in the event of the collapse of the Union Republic from the USSR, was realized. On December 10, 1991, just a few days before the official collapse of the Soviet Union, a referendum was held in Nagorno-Karabakh, during which the vast majority of the population – 99.89% – voted for complete independence from Azerbaijan. After that, the NKR parliament was elected in the parliamentary elections, which formed the first government. The independent government of the NKR carried out its duties under the conditions of an absolute blockade and the subsequent military aggression of Azerbaijan.