NOGORNO KARABAKH IS NOT USED AS A TRANSIT ROUTE FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING,
NKR AUTHORITIES UNDERLINE IN LETTER TO US ASSISTANT SECRETARY

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Recently the NKR
Foreign Minister Georgy Petrossian and Head of the NKR Police
Department Armen Isagulov have sent a letter to Anne Patterson,
U.S. Assistant Secretary, Head of the Bureau of the US State
Department for International Strategic Narcotics Control. The letter,
which was submitted to NT by the NKR FMA Information and Analytical
Department, in particular says: “We highly appreciate and welcome the
U.S. contribution to the establishment of true democratic principles
in international relations. We also appreciate the consistent efforts
of the American Co-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group toward settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. We are writing to draw your
attention to an issue of great importance to the authorities of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)”. “The U.S. State Department’s 2006
International Narcotics Control Strategy Annual Report, published last
month, referred to the Azerbaijani government’s allegations that
Nagorno Karabakh and territories under NKR control are used as
“narcotics transiting route”. This is a departure from previous
similar reports, when mutual understanding over this issue had been
reached after we provided clarifications to your office in our
February 7, 2002 letter”. “We express our strong objection to the
fact, that Azerbaijan’s deliberate disinformation once again has been
included into the U.S. State Department’s reputable report.

We have no doubt that this new misleading information was
intentionally provided by Azerbaijan, which has made falsifications
and efforts to discredit Nagorno Karabakh part of its state
policy. Resorting to such allegations, Azerbaijan hopes that the
international community would regard Nagorno Karabakh as an
uncontrolled, outlaw territory. Since 1994, Azerbaijan has no access
to or control over Nagorno Karabakh and, therefore, is not in a
position to provide any fact-based information. As you know, in 2002
the NKR Government called upon relevant international bodies to send
an independent verification mission to Nagorno Karabakh to assess the
situation on the ground, but no action was taken. This provided
ground for Azerbaijan to continue its misleading efforts”. “Once
again, we would like to state, with full responsibility, that Nagorno
Karabakh’s territory is not used as a transit route for narcotics,
which is a direct result of effective preventive measures by the NKR
law enforcement agencies. Nagorno Karabakh’s border with Iran is
sealed. In addition, Azerbaijan’s ongoing blockade of Nagorno Karabakh
makes NKR’s territory unattractive to international drug smugglers –
an unexpected positive side-effect of Azerbaijan’s deliberate hostile
action”. Further the letter contains the facts, testifying the
abovementioned arguments: “As you know, since 1994 the NKR authorities
have been maintaining the cease-fire regime without international
peacekeeping forces and, thus, control the whole line of contact
between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, as well
as the situation in bordering areas of Nagorno Karabakh. By itself,
this fact offers an indisputable evidence of high self-organization of
our state. The Office of Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, which regularly monitors the cease-fire regime,
provides international supervision over the situation in the Nagorno
Karabakh and can confirm the absence of any criminal activities in
those territories”. The letter also points out that in
January-February 2005 an OSCE fact-finding mission accompanied by the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen visited Nagorno Karabakh. “More than
thirty diplomats and experts from different countries conducted a
thorough monitoring of the situation in the NKR-controlled territories
and prepared a substantial report, which does not mention a single
case of narcotics trafficking activity”. “In this respect, we consider
it necessary to stress that the authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic are committed to strengthening of the democratic values,
peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and international
recognition of the NKR independence. For almost fifteen years, the
NKR leadership has been governing the state responsibly and ensuring
the security of its citizen”, – the letter stressed. “For these
reasons, we respectfully request that you reconsider the inclusion of
unverified information in the official report of the U.S.

State Department. We hope that you will receive our request with
understanding and will positively resolve this issue by removing
unverified information about Nagorno Karabakh from the report and the
web-site. We are certain that this step would affirm the United
States’ unbiased mediating role in the Nagorno Karabakh
settlement”. The letter reiterated readiness of the NKR authorities to
cooperate with the U.S. in the fight against international narcotics
trafficking and receive a special monitoring group of experts for an
independent verification of facts on the ground. “We look forward to
working with the United States in addressing issues that can
potentially complicate the Nagorno Karabakh peace process and
undermine the prospects of regional peace and stability”. The copies
of the letter are sent to Dr. Condoleezza Rice, U.S.

Secretary of State, Ambassador Steven Mann, U.S. Co-Chairman of the
Minsk Group, John Walters, Director of the White House Office of
National Drug Control Policy.