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.