NAGORNO KARABAKH IS NOT A TRANSIT ROUTE OF DRUG TRAFFICKING
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
17 April 2006
Recently NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan and NKR Police Chief
Armen Isagulov sent a letter to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
Anne Petersson, the head of the Bureau of International Narcotics
and Law Enforcement Affairs. ” Highly appreciating and commending the
contribution of the United States to the establishment of democratic
values in international relations, as well as the consistent efforts
of the American co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group for the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict, we would like to draw your
attention to an issue, which is of utter importance for Nagorno
Karabakh Republic. Unlike the previous years when the elucidation
of the Karabakh government helped to reach a mutual understanding,
in the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2006 Nagorno
Karabakh and the territories it controls were defined as transit
route of drug trafficking. Being convinced that these invented data
were extended by Azerbaijan, which has adopted falsification and
slander against the Armenian party to the level of state policy, we
disagree with the inaccurate information used in such a authoritative
report, especially that the government of Karabakh have applied to
relevant international organizations for a number of times to send
an independent monitoring group to Nagorno Karabakh to monitor the
situation on the spot. Obviously, by such false accusations Azerbaijan
want to have the international community admit Nagorno Karabakh as an
outlawed and uncontrollable territory. Thereby we assume responsibility
to assure you that Nagorno Karabakh is not a transit route for drug
trafficking not only because of a lack of a developed transport system
but also primarily due to the effective preventive activity of the law
enforcement agencies of NKR.” The letter contains facts proving the
abovementioned arguments. “First of all, we consider it necessary to
remind that since May 1994 the government of NKR has guaranteed the
ceasefire without any peacemaking forces, completely controlling the
front line between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan
and the border area. The letter of the NKR Foreign Minister and Chief
of the Police states that the Office of the Personal Representative of
the OSCE Chairman-in-Office will also deny criminal facts or actions,
which regularly and fully monitors the front line, hence exercising
international control over the conflict area of NKR. It is mentioned
in the letter that in late February and late March 2005 the OSCE
fact-finding mission, including over 30 diplomats and experts from
different countries, visited Karabakh with the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs. “The OSCE fact-finding mission prepared a significant
report, based on a meticulous monitoring of the areas controlled
by NKR, which contains no such negative facts. With regard to this
we emphasize the commitment of the government of Nagorno Karabakh
Republic to promoting democratic values and a peace settlement
of the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, pursuing the international
recognition of NKR and fulfilling their function of government and
guaranteeing the security of their citizens for about 20 years,”
states the letter of NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan and
Police Chief Armen Isagulov. A copy of the letter was sent to the
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair
Stephen Mann, Director of the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy (ONDCP) John Walters.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
