August 23, 2012 | 10:00
Thursday, August 23, 2012 marks the 22nd anniversary of Armenia’s Declaration of Independence.
Exactly 22 years ago on this very day, Armenian SSR Supreme Council adopted Armenia’s Declaration of Independence, whereby the country’s independence process was launched.
By way of the Declaration of Independence, Armenian SSR was renamed the Republic of Armenia—or Armenia, in short form. And on the very next day, that is, on August 24, the law on the country’s flag was adopted, whereby the tricolor was recognized as Armenia’s national flag.
At the Supreme Council’s session on August 23, 1990, the text of the Declaration of Independence was read by Aram Manukyan—the current opposition Armenian National Congress Parliamentary Faction Secretary and Armenian National Movement Party Chairman—as namesake of the founder of the First Republic of Armenia.
And one year later, on September 21, 1991, Armenia held its referendum on independence, and, as a result, 94.99 percent of the participants voted in favor of Armenia’s independence.