34 years ago Armenia signed the Declaration of Independence
34 տարի առաջ Հայաստանը ստորագրեց Անկախության հռչակագիրը: Կառլո Կոպպոլայի հոդված.
Armenia celebrates the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on August 23 every year. On August 23, 1990, the Supreme Council of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic signed this important document in Yerevan, officially renaming itself the Republic of Armenia. Armenia then became fully independent one year and one month later on September 21, 1991, following the dissolution of the USSR.
In the Declaration of Independence, the newly independent republic recognized Armenian as the state language and began the creation of its own system of education and scientific and cultural development. One of the first goals envisaged was the full achievement of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide that had taken place in Ottoman Turkey and Western Armenia in 1915.
The declaration was signed by the first President of Armenia Levon Ter Petrosyan and the Secretary of the Supreme Council of Armenia, Ara Sahakyan. The Supreme Council of Armenia, expressing the united will of the Armenian people, on the basis of the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the basic norms of international law, also guaranteed the right to free self-determination of nations. This document also referred to an important decision of the same institution of December 1, 1989 entitled "On the reunification of the Armenian SSR and Nagorno Karabakh". This joint resolution of the Supreme Council of Soviet Armenia and the National Council of Nagorno-Karabakh tied, and still ties, the fate of the Republic of Armenia and that of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). The Declaration of Independence of Armenia is still the founding document that legitimises the existence of this state against the inappropriate pressures of troublesome neighbours, first of all Azerbaijan, Turkey and now also Russia. From a practical point of view from 12 points:
1. The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic is renamed for life the Republic of Armenia, abbreviated to Armenia. The Republic of Armenia has its own flag, coat of arms and anthem.
2. The Republic of Armenia is a sovereign state with the supremacy, independence and sovereignty of state power. Only the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Armenia are valid throughout the territory of the Republic of Armenia.
3. The holder of Armenian statehood is the people of the Republic of Armenia, who exercise their power directly and through representative bodies on the basis of the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Armenia. The right to act on behalf of the people of the Republic belongs exclusively to the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia.
4. Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia is defined for all citizens living in the territory of the Republic of Armenia. Armenians abroad have the right to citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. Citizens of the Republic of Armenia are under its protection and support. The Republic of Armenia guarantees the free and equal development of its citizens, without distinction of nationality, race and religion.
5. To ensure its security and the integrity of its borders, the Republic of Armenia creates its own armed forces, internal troops, state and public security bodies under the Supreme Council. The Republic of Armenia has the right to its share of the armaments of the USSR. The Republic of Armenia itself decides on the order of military service of its citizens. Military units of other countries, their military bases and buildings may be deployed on the territory of the Republic of Armenia only by decision of its Supreme Council. The armed forces of the Republic of Armenia may be used only by decision of its Supreme Council.
6. The Republic of Armenia, as a subject of international law, conducts an independent foreign policy, establishes direct relations with other states, national state entities of the USSR, participates in the activities of international organizations.
7. The national wealth of the Republic of Armenia — land, subsoil, airspace, water and other natural resources, economic, intellectual and cultural capabilities — is the property of its people. The order of their possession, use and disposal is determined by the laws of the Republic of Armenia. The Republic of Armenia has the right to a share of the national wealth of the USSR, including gold reserves, diamonds and foreign exchange funds.
8. The Republic of Armenia determines its economic entities and its order based on the diversity of ownership, establishes its own dram, national bank, financial credit system, tax and customs services.
9. The Republic of Armenia guarantees freedom of speech, press and conscience on its territory, equality of legislative, executive and judicial authorities, depoliticization of law enforcement and armed forces.
10. The Republic of Armenia ensures the functioning of Armenian as a state language in all spheres of life of the republic, creates its own system of education, science and culture.
11. The Republic of Armenia supports the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 in Ottoman Turkey and Western Armenia.
12. This Declaration serves as a basis for the development of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and for the implementation of amendments and additions to the existing Constitution, the functioning of state bodies and the development of new legislation of the republic.
Currently, Armenia continues to defend the integrity of the contents of these 12 points from various internal and external factors of mass distraction. Some of these are clearly in the pay of subversive forces with respect to the established and legitimate power of the state. These subversive forces are - as is known and evident to critics and observers around the world - paid by foreign states eager to undermine the physical-political integrity of the state. Their hidden attempt is to set Armenians against each other, creating important divisions and perhaps civil wars, in which they could, in the end, be bearers of peace and harmony with weapons and with the suspension of democratic freedoms or the rule of law. These clashes unfortunately occur not only in the context of legitimate public discussions, but also in calls for sedition directed from abroad and on the media platforms of third states, perhaps unaware that interventions on their media channels can lead to very serious consequences on the level of self-determination of peoples and that these illegitimate controversies contribute to arousing a condition of permanent internal tension at least from a psychological point of view.
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