Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: anca@anca.org
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ANCA SETS RECORD STRAIGHT IN FACE OF CONTINUED AZERBAIJANI
MISINFORMATION ABOUT NAGORNO KARABAGH

“At the heart of this issue is Nagorno Karabagh – a
democracy defending itself against a corrupt monarchy
that blockades its neighbors and abuses its own
citizens.” – ANCA Memo to Congress, August 26, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC – In letters sent last week to every Member of Congress,
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) responded to the
recent escalation of Azerbaijani Embassy’s misinformation campaign
by outlining the long-standing United States record in support of
Nagorno Karabagh.

In an August 26th memo to Congressional offices, ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian explained that, “the Azerbaijan government –
on the defensive about its own record on democracy and freedom – is
again resorting to misstatements and outright falsehood to advance its
agenda.” The ANCA letter came in response to an August 17th letter
by Azerbaijani Ambassador Hafez Pashayev, which misrepresented
the progress of democracy and free elections Nagorno Karabagh.
Erroneous statements in the letter included false assertions that
“Nagorno Karabagh was never independent nor a part of Armenia,”
as well as untrue charges about Armenian aggression.

The ANCA memo highlighted several key points concerning United
States support for Nagorno Karabagh:

* Declassified CIA reports from the seventies, eighties, and
nineties reveal a pattern of official -although confidential-
acknowledgement that Nagorno Karabagh is a historic part of
Armenia. ()

* In the late 1980’s, the United States welcomed Nagorno
Karabagh’s historic challenge to the Soviet system and its leadership
in sparking democratic movements in the Baltics and throughout the
Soviet empire.

* The U.S. Senate, in November of 1989, adopted S.J.Res.178,
recognizing that “Nagorno-Karabagh has continually
expressed its desire for self-determination and freedom.”

* The U.S. State Department’s representative to the OSCE
“Minsk Group” regularly visits Nagorno Karabagh, which is
an official party to the peace process, and consults with its
democratically elected leaders.

* The U.S. Government, since 1992, has been on record
officially condemning Azerbaijan’s blockades and other uses
of force against both Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh
(Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act).

* The U.S. Government, over Azerbaijan’s protests, has
provided direct humanitarian assistance to Nagorno
Karabagh since 1998.

On August 3rd, Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) initiated a Congressional
letter to President Bush, drawing attention to “the important
progress being made by the people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic,
Artsakh, towards freedom, peace and prosperity.” This letter,
which is currently gaining signatures during the Congressional
recess, notes that, just as, the U.S. champions “freedom for all
peoples around the world, we should also continue supporting the
aspirations of the people of Artsakh to live in freedom,
particularly in the strategically important South Caucasus.”

ANCA chapters and activists have been contacting their legislators
over the past month in support of the Congressional letter to
President Bush, set to delivered to the White House on September
30th.

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