On September 21, Armenians throughout the world are marking the 31st anniversary of Armenia's independence.

With a unanimous national vote 31 years ago, the third Republic of Armenia was established on September 21, 1991, to give the Armenian people the right to build their future, be the masters of their land and regain statehood.

On September 21, 1991, a referendum on Armenia’s secession from the USSR was held, with 94.99% of the people voting for an independent and democratic Armenia.

Two days later, Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission released the referendum results: 2,056,792 (94.39%) of Armenia’s 2,163,967 voters had taken part in the voting, with 2,042,617 voting for Armenia’s independence.

Based on the referendum results, Armenia’s Supreme Council declared independent Armenia on September 23, 1991.

This year, the nation is marking the important anniversary while also recovering from the devastating war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) on September 27, 2020, as well as several unprovoked major offensives against Armenia.

The latest round of fighting began in the wee hours of September 13, when the Azerbaijani military attacked Armenian posts and shelled Armenian settlements both on the border and deep behind the frontline. At least 207 people are dead or missing as a result.