On September 21, 1991, the Armenian people regained their independence through an overwhelmingly favorable referendum, after seven decades of subjugation to Moscow. That decision was not an arbitrary starting point but the historical continuation of the First Republic of 1918 — born from the victories of Sardarabad, Bash-Abaran, and Karakilisa — which in 1920 faced a tragic dilemma: succumb to Turkish invasion, with the threat of renewed massacres, or accept Sovietization. Independence was lost, but that painful concession at least ensured the nation’s physical survival in the face of extermination.

Seventy years later, with the collapse of the USSR, Armenia once again chose freedom.

The 34th anniversary of that choice compels us to ask: what have we done with this recovered independence? Promises of development, stability, and prosperity remain largely unfulfilled. The Republic continues to be marked by recurrent political crises, mass emigration, strategic dependence, and a fragile economy unable to retain its youth. Isolated “achievements” — in technological niches or partial statistics — cannot compensate for the absence of a coherent national project or the social inequality that erodes internal cohesion.

The defeat in Artsakh, the loss of historic territories, and the forced displacement of tens of thousands of Armenians have laid bare the structural vulnerability of the state. Foreign interference and the leadership’s inability to defend national interests underscore an uncomfortable truth: independence cannot be sustained through ceremonies or speeches, but only through real sovereignty, strategic unity, and resolute decisions.

Commemorating this anniversary must, above all, be an act of collective honesty. Armenia cannot settle for mere survival; it must build a future. Halting demographic decline, diversifying the economy, protecting institutions from corruption, and pursuing a genuinely autonomous foreign policy are not optional — they are essential for national survival.

In this challenge, the Diaspora cannot remain a passive spectator. Its voice, resources, and political engagement are indispensable to sustain the Republic and to demand from its leaders a clear, coherent, and genuinely national course. Armenia will only be truly free and independent when every Armenian — within and beyond its borders — understands that independence is not a glorious memory, but a living cause that demands unity, courage, and constant action.