ARTSAKH YOUTH INDIGNANT

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
26 Jan 05

The youth of Artsakh is indignant with the recent irresponsible
statement made by the US Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth
Jones. The representative of the youth public organization `Haiki
Serund’ on foreign relations Yervand Hajiyan said, several youth
organizations, particularly `Youth Center’, ` Miasnutyun’, `Haiki
Serund’, `YMCA’, as well as the youth wing of the NKR Armenian
Revolutionary Federation sent a letter to the US Embassy in Armenia
addressed to the Vice Secretary of State of the USA Elizabeth Jones,
considering her the statement referring to Nagorni Karabakh as
unacceptable. The letter runs, ` First of all, it is wrong to compare
the Nagorni Karabakh conflict with other conflicts in the region; it
essentially differs by its causes and peculiarities. Since
independence a democratic state is being built here and it is not
accidental that the American human rights organization `Freedom House’
mentions in its annual reports that in NKR democracy, civil rights and
freedom are on a more stable ground than in the neighbour country and
other unrecognized coun tries. And this under the lasting blockade
imposed by Azerbaijan and without the assistance of the international
community. The international observers monitoring the elections in the
republic since the declaration of independence testify to the fact
that Nagorni Karabakh develops in the direction of democracy.
Therefore, your statements that NKR is ruled by criminal elements, and
our country is corrupted lack logic.’ According to Yervand Hajiyan,
theAmerican top official brought a false accusation against Nagorni
Karabakh. `In fragile peace maintained by the armistice of 1994 any
irresponsible action or statement may shatter the situation. The
statement of E. Jones may damage the processof peaceful regulation of
the Karabakh conflict,’ mentioned Y. Hajiyan.

NVARD OHANJANIAN.
26-01-2005