Today marks the 29th anniversary of Declaration of Independence of Armenia that was adopted on August 23, 1990. The Supreme Council of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic signed Armenia’s Declaration of Independence in Yerevan, renaming itself as the Republic of Armenia.
Armenia officially became an independent state on September 21, 1991, upon the dissolution of the USSR.
Adopting the Declaration signified the beginning of establishment of independent sovereignty and creation of a democratic state.
Supreme Council member Aram Manukyan declared the secession of Armenia from the USSR and also declared Armenia as an independent nation. The declaration was signed by Armenia’s first president Levon Ter Petrosyan and secretary of the Supreme Council of Armenia, Ara Sahakyan.
The statement included 12 declarations. It renames Armenian SSR to the Republic of Armenia and establishes that the state has a flag, coat of arms, and national anthem. It also states the nation's independence with its own currency, military, and banking system. The declaration guarantees free speech, press, and a division of governance between a judiciary, legislature and presidency. It calls for a multiparty democracy. It establishes the Armenian language as official. It also supports "recognition of the 1915 Genocide in Ottoman Turkey and Western Armenia". It served as the basis for the development for the Constitution of Armenia.
