YEREVAN — Armenia marked the 35th anniversary of its independence on Sep- tember 21 with nationwide celebrations culminating in a major concert, light show and fireworks display at Re- public Square in Yerevan. The anniversary celebra- tions, held under the theme “Enduring State,” commem- orated the September 21, 1991 referendum in which Armenians overwhelmingly voted in favor of establishing an independent state outside the Soviet Union. According to official figures, 95 percent of eligible voters participat- ed in the referendum, with 94.39 percent voting in favor of independence. The main celebration in Republic Square brought together hundreds of mu- sicians, singers and per- formers. The program fea- tured the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Sergey Smbatyan, the Hov- hannes Tchekidjian Nation- al Academic Choir and the Karen-Sevak Band. Popu- lar Armenian performers, including Tata Simonyan, Arman Hovhannisyan, Ive- ta Mukuchyan, Aram MP3, Roland Gasparyan and Saro Tovmasyan, were also among the artists taking part in the festivities. Pashinyan Marks Arme- nia’s 35th Independence An- niversary with Message on Peace and Statehood Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan issued a congrat- ulatory message on the oc- casion of Armenia’s Inde- pendence Day, noting that the country is marking the 35th anniversary of its inde- pendence in an environment of peace. “We are marking the 35th anniversary of the indepen- dence of the Republic of Ar- menia in an environment of peace, but we have achieved peace and an understanding of peace at the cost of the lives of thousands of our brothers and sisters,” Pash- inyan said. The prime minister em- phasized that independence — in other words, statehood — is the most important thing Armenians collective- ly possess. “It is the state that can guarantee the preservation and development of our identity and culture. It is our state that can guarantee the continuity of our his- tory. It is the state that makes us mas- ters of our own destiny and makes us the authors and guarantors of our free- dom and security,” Pashinyan said. “We must continue along this path of taking responsibility for and standing by our state,” he added. Describing the Republic of Arme- nia as “the homeland of our dreams,” Pashinyan said citizens must continue to deepen their understanding of state- hood and citizenship. “Every year and every day, we must learn better what it means and what it entails to have a state. We must bet- ter understand what a state means and what it means to be a citizen,” he said. Pashinyan acknowledged that Ar- menia continues to face numerous unresolved challenges but said their existence should not diminish citizens’ commitment to the country. “There are many unresolved prob- lems in the Republic of Armenia. This cannot be a reason for us to love our state any less, because there is no state in the world — there has never been and never will be one — without nu- merous unresolved problems,” he said. “On the contrary, every problem that is solved brings new problems with it, and this process has no end or conclu- sion,” Pashinyan continued, adding that this continuous process is what leads to development and progress. The prime minister also said that the Armenian government’s policies are aimed at strengthening citizens. He cited initiatives ranging from education and housing construction to universal health insurance and the introduction of the “Defender of the Fatherland” program in the armed forces, as well as a broad range of social, political and economic programs. “Independence, that is, the state, is the most important thing that we have together,” Pashinyan said in his Independence Day message at Republic Square. The evening program included a large-scale light show followed by musical performances and concluded with a fireworks display over Republic Square. Earlier in the day, Pashinyan had invited the public to gather in the square to celebrate what he described as one of Armenia’s most important national holidays. The Yerevan celebration was the culmination of several days of events organized across Armenia. Anniversary concerts began in ljevan on September 17 and continued in Vanadzor on September 18, Kapan on September 19 and Gyumri on September 20 before concluding in the capital on Independence Day. Approximately 250 artists were expected to participate in the main Republic Square event. In Vanadzor, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra presented its “Symphonic Rock” and “Symphonic Folk” programs, while Kapan hosted performances by Armenian bands. Gyumri’s celebration featured the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Eduard Topchjan. Ijevan hosted the Armenian State Jazz Orchestra together with guest performers.