The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, on Monday issued a congratulatory message on the anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic).

“28 years ago this day, Artsakh was proclaimed a Republic, in fact becoming independent from Soviet Azerbaijan, and took the path of crafting an independent statehood,” the message reads, in part. “The Artsakh liberation struggle is one of the brilliant chapters of the history of the Armenian people, and the embodiment of our collective pride. 28 years have passed since that historic day, and the free and independent Artsakh is an established political and historical reality today.

“The guarantee of the triumphs of the Armenian people is our unity, our united and unshakable will in the name of freedom, in the name of independence, in the name the preservation and development of our national identity.

“The security of Armenia and Artsakh is the priority of us all. The fate of Artsakh is at the focus of all Armenians, and we will continue the efforts to protect the results of the Artsakh liberation struggle waged for the self-determination and security of the people of Artsakh, to achieve a pacific and just resolution to the [Nagorno-Karabakh conflict] issue [with Azerbaijan].”