Independence is our people’s greatest achievement over the last 19 years. There is not a more valuable achievement than independence for any nation, Chairman of the Union of Karabakh War Veterans, General Arkady Karapetyan told NEWS.am, speaking of Armenia’s achievements over the last 19 years. “The major achievement over the recent years are our independence, our victory and, as a result, our army,” Karapetyan said. He also said that capturing Baku would be the Armenian army’s achievement.

All the rest is omissions, Karapetyan said. “The social conditions, country’s economic situation, lack of freedom, people that cannot defend their rights in any field. Our people are afraid of the State, while the State, in turn, does not love its people. So it turns out that our efforts backfired on us. But our efforts were aimed at gaining freedom,” Karapetyan said. According to him, the present situation, which is the result of social injustice, will hamper Armenia’s development.

The general congratulate the Armenian people on Independence Day. “Independence Day is a great holiday, but its significance is not fully realized. Independence is a means for us to improve our life. However, we will never see any significant achievements without realizing its value,” Karapetyan said.

The former minister of defense Vaharshak Harutyunyan said that an independent state, Armenians’ victory in Nagorno-Karabakh and creation of necessary conditions for the country’s progress are among the achievements over the last 19 years. 

“We have had omissions during the 19 years of independence, but they are insignificant in the construction of a young state and can be rectified. Lost independence could have been a major omission. However, we have been able to preserve independence,” Harutyunyan said.

The next achievement is, according to him, to bring up the victorious young generation.