NKR OFFICIAL DELEGATION ARRIVED IN WASHINGTON
MFA PRESS SERVICE.
03-07-2006
On June 26 NKR Speaker Ashot Ghulian and the minister of foreign
affairs of NKR Georgy Petrossian arrived in Washington for an official
visit. On the same day the NKR high-ranking officials met with the
Armenian Ambassador to the United States Tatul Margaryan and discussed
questions of mutual interest.
Afterwards the NKR delegation met with Mathew Bryza, the US co-chair
of the OSCE Minsk Group at the NKR Permanent Representation to the
United States and discussed the present stage of the Karabakh conflict
and regional developments.
Speaker Ashot Ghulian and Foreign Minister Georgy Petrossian
presented the NKR stance on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict,
underlining the importance of the legal aspect of the problem. The
participants of the meeting arranged to continue consultations,
including in Stepanakert. On June 27 the NKR delegation met with
the representatives of the Washington Office of Hay Dat and the
Armenian Assembly of America. During these meetings they discussed
cooperation between the NKR government and these organization, as
well as the present situation in the region and the Homeland-Diaspora
relations. Afterwards the Artsakh officials met with Craig Kennedy,
president of the German Marshall Fund, and discussed the current
stage of settlement of the Karabakh conflict and the home and foreign
policies of NKR. In the afternoon the NKR delegation met with senators
Lincoln Chaffy and Jack Reed. During this meeting the NKR officials
presented the social and economic state of NKR, democratic achievements
and the recent development in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. The delegation emphasized the importance of the US assistance
to NKR and called for continuing and expanding this assistance. In
the morning of June 28 NKR Speaker Ashot Ghulian and Foreign minister
Georgy Petrossian addressed an event at the US Institute of Peace,
devoted to the preconditions of peace settlement of the Karabakh
conflict. Diplomats, heads of strategic centres and organizations,
as well as members of the Armenian community were present. The
Artsakh officials presented the official stance of NKR on the peace
settlement of the conflict over Karabakh, touched upon the history
and the current stage of peace settlement. The speaker of NKR dwelled
on the legal and historical aspects of declaration and establishment
of NKR, emphasizing their compliance with the international law and
experience. With regard to the current developments in the region,
he mentioned that NKR perceives the vital interests of the United
States and other countries in the South Caucasus. At the same time, NKR
expects these countries to perceive its interests as well. The foreign
minister of NKR underlined that the current format of the talks does
not reflect the conflict fully because the Azerbaijani side refuses
to negotiate with NKR. Similarly, since 1988 Azerbaijan has distorted
the possibility of a legal settlement of the conflict into a lasting
ethnic and political conflict. In the end the NKR delegation answered
the questions of the participants of the meeting. Later the Armenian
delegation met with Congresswoman Nita Lowey. During the meeting
the NKR delegation presented the social and economic state in NKR,
democracy in Artsakh and the recent developments in the settlement
of the Karabakh conflict. In the afternoon there was a reception
for the NKR delegation at the Capitol. Armenian Ambassador to the
United States Tatul Margarian, NKR Permanent Representative to the US
Vardan Barseghian, the Armenian Assembly of America and the Armenian
National Committee of America were present. US House Representatives
Franck Pallone, Joe Knollenberg, Edward Royce, Caroline Maloney,
Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman addressed the guests and greeted the
speaker and the minister of foreign affairs of NKR. Condemning the
anti-Armenian aggressive policy of Azerbaijan, the representatives of
the U.S. House affirmed their commitment to assist in the establishment
and development of NKR. In their speeches the NKR officials thanked the
US congress and the American people for establishment of freedom and
democracy, as well as the humanitarian aid from the United States to
NKR. "Artsakh chose the path of freedom and democracy consciously and
nothing will make it deviate from this path," concluded the speaker
of the NKR National Assembly. After the reception the NKR delegation
met with the co-chairs of the Armenian task force of the U.S. House,
Rep. Franck Pallone and Rep. Joe Knollenberg. During this meeting
they discussed economic and democratic reforms in NKR, US assistance
to NKR and the settlement of the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
