Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) President Arayik Harutyunyan on Tuesday issued a message on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Armenia's independence. The message runs as follows, in particular:

Today, the entire Armenian people mark one of the most important state holidays, Independence Day, which opened a new page in the history of Mother Armenia, bringing to fruition the long-standing dream of Armenians: to have a free, independent and sovereign state.

September 21, 1991 became the beginning of a complicated and difficult process of state building, as well as the formation of a new legal, economic, security system.

The 44-day [Artsakh] war [last fall] became a major test for the Armenian statehood, resulting in many human and territorial losses. But I am convinced we will overcome this test as well, and strengthen—with purposeful efforts—the foundations of the statehood.

Strong and developing Armenia has no alternative.