NEARLY 80 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS URGE U.S. PRESIDENT TO EXPAND RELATIONS

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
Oct 17 2006

Washington, DC – To mark the 15th Anniversary of Artsakh’s Independence,
Members of Congress joined the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on
Armenian Issues, Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), in sending a
letter to President Bush urging him "to recognize the 15th anniversary of the
independence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic [Artsakh]" and calling the
President’s attention to Artsakh’s "efforts in furthering their democracy and
creating an independent state." Nagorno Karabakh’s decision to establish a
sovereign state came as a continuation of the national liberation movement that
began immediately after Joseph Stalin awarded administrative control over
Karabakh to Soviet Azerbaijan in 1921. After suffering from over 70 years of
discrimination and oppression by Azerbaijan and the Soviet regime, the people
of Artsakh stepped up their struggle for freedom and democracy by establishing
the independent Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh. The congressional
letter, signed by 77 members and sent to the White House on September 29,
highlights a long history of U.S support to Nagorno Karabakh and the will of the
people of Artsakh to build a democratic and economically viable country. The
letter also notes the continuation of Azerbaijan’s destructive policy, which
threatens peace and stability in the region and "goes against U.S. interests."
Most importantly, the congressional letter advocates for expansion of U.S.
political and economic engagement with Nagorno Karabakh. The letter said in part:
"As we work towards peace, the United States can and must expand its
engagement with the lawfully and democratically established Nagorno Karabakh
Republic. These ties should not be dictated by outside forces but rather should be
guided by the shared values of our two nations. […] We should build on this
success by investing in developmental and good governance programs that will
strengthen Nagorno-Karabakh’s economy, democratic institutions, and promote even
greater cooperation on a range of regional and security issues." Despite the
overwhelming challenges of the past 15 years, Artsakh has registered
impressive achievements: successful defense of its freedom against Azerbaijani
military aggression, nearly complete restoration of its war-devastated economy,
continued strengthening of its democracy, unprecedented economic growth and
constructive partnership with the international community to bring about lasting
peace and stability to the South Caucasus. "Everyday, we are advancing in
building a country of our dreams – a free, democratic and prosperous Artsakh.
Fifteen years of independent statehood have proved the righteousness of the
historic path chosen on September 2, 1991. Throughout these years, the people
of Artsakh have been truly blessed to enjoy the political and economic support
of the U.S. Congress. We are deeply thankful to the American people for
their generous economic assistance that helped restore dozens of war-torn
villages, drinking water supplies and medical facilities," said NKR Representative
in the United States Vardan Barseghian. Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), who
co-chairs the Armenian Caucus, said: "The United States stands for freedom and
democracy, values that have vividly triumphed in Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh,
without any international support. I am proud to support this nation as it works
to achieve formal international recognition of its well-deserved
independence. The U.S. economic assistance to Nagorno Karabakh should be continued."
"Time and again, the people of Nagorno Karabakh have demonstrated their firm
commitment to values of liberty and peace. They have also worked hard to
establish a developing democracy and growing market economy. The United States should
expand its political and economic engagement with the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic," echoed fellow Armenian Caucus Co-chair Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ).
Congressmen Knollenberg and Pallone also thanked their colleagues, the
co-signers of this congressional letter to President Bush, for supporting this
critical initiative. "In its quest for freedom and its efforts to strengthen its
democracy and develop its economy, Nagorno Karabakh enjoys a broad-based
congressional support. Our collective aim was to convey this message to President
Bush as the Nagorno Karabakh Republic celebrates the 15th Anniversary of
Independence," the congressmen said. This congressional effort enjoyed strong
support of the two Armenian-American advocacy groups in Washington, DC. "The
Armenian Assembly commends Congressmen Knollenberg and Pallone for their
initiative and leadership in urging the U.S. to strengthen relations with Karabakh
as it celebrates 15 years of independence," said Assembly Executive Director
Bryan Ardouny. "As we mark this special occasion, we are reminded of the
accomplishments the people of Karabakh have already achieved. The Assembly will
continue to work with its friends in Congress and the Administration to
advocate for Karabakh’s right to self-determination." "We want to thank
Congressmen Knollenberg and Pallone and all those who joined with the Armenian Caucus
in marking this milestone of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s continued
contribution to the growth of democracy, economic development, and the prospects for
an equitable and lasting peace in the Caucasus," said ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian. On behalf of the NKR Government, Barseghian thanked the
Armenian Assembly of America and the Armenian National Committee of America for
their effective work on Capitol Hill. "We are also grateful to our
congressional friends for their continued support of Nagorno Karabakh on our path
towards freedom, democracy and prosperity — universal values that have been
guiding Artsakh since independence," said Representative Barseghian. The Office of
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States is based in Washington,
DC and works with the U.S. government, academia and the public representing
the official policies and interests of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. September
29, 2006 The Honorable George W. Bush President of the United States The
White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President:
We write to recognize the 15th anniversary of the independence of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and to call your attention to their ongoing efforts in
furthering their democracy and creating an independent state. The United States
has a long history of supporting Nagorno-Karabakh’s democracy and its right
to live in freedom and peace. Since 1992, our government has taken part in
international efforts to reach a sustainable resolution to the conflict between
Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. A durable cease-fire has been in place since
1994, bringing relative stability to the region. However, a comprehensive
peace agreement has not been reached and the continued standoff could lead to
yet another cycle of violence. The democratically elected leaders of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic have repeatedly offered to implement mutual
confidence-building measures, for which the U.S. government has continued to allocate
funding. These leaders have consistently demonstrated a willingness to make
difficult compromises in the interest of a lasting peace. However, in contrast,
Azerbaijan has rejected confidence-building measures and demonstrated a
consistent pattern of inflexibility in the negotiating process. To further
destabilize the region, Azerbaijan continues to maintain a blockade of both
Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia and regularly threatens a new wave of violence against
Nagorno-Karabakh. We have every reason to believe this threat is realistic
given their rapidly increasing military budget. An arms race or new violence in
the South Caucasus region goes specifically against U.S. interests in the
region. The key to preventing this outcome is for the United States to send a
clear message to Azerbaijan that we will not tolerate renewed aggression against
Nagorno-Karabakh. Earlier this year, we were pleased with Assistant
Secretary of State Dan Fried’s statement that, "the will of the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh has to be respected." We wholeheartedly share this view and hope that
you will build upon this constructive approach to a long-term settlement. Our
interest is in working, in a manner consistent with fundamental democratic
principle, to bring a durable resolution, acceptable to all parties, to the
region. As the world’s greatest force for freedom, we should always champion
values of liberty, democracy, and peace. As we work towards peace, the United
States can and must expand its engagement with the lawfully and democratically
established Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. These ties should not be dictated by
outside forces but rather should be guided by the shared values of our two
nations. Our decision in 1988 to aid Nagorno-Karabakh has become one of the
most effective assistance efforts anywhere in the world, providing thousands of
people with housing, water, and healthcare needs. We should build on this
success by investing in developmental and good governance programs that will
strengthen Nagorno-Karabakh’s economy, democratic institutions, and promote even
greater cooperation on a range of regional and security issues. Mr.
President, as we mark the 15th anniversary of independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, we
urge you to join with us in celebrating this nation’s courageous choice for
freedom, its strong commitment to democratic values, and its sincere desire to
work toward lasting peace. We appreciate your consideration of our concerns.
Sincerely, [signed] Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Joseph Baca (D-CA), Charles Bass
(R-NH), Melissa Bean (D-IL), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL),
Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Loi Capps (D-CA), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), John Conyers
(D-MI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Anna
Eshoo (D-CA), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Scott Garrett (R-NJ),
Charles Gonzalez (D-TX), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Rush
Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Steve Israel (D-NY), Jesse Jackson (D-IL),
Sue Kelly (R-NY), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Dale Kildee (D-MI), Mark Kirk
(R-IL), Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), James Langevin (D-RI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander
Levin (D-MI), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Stephen Lynch (D-MA),
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Thaddeus
McCotter (R-MI), James McGovern (D-MA), Howard McKeon (R-CA), Michael McNulty
(D-NY), Martin Meehan (D-MA), Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA), Candice Miller
(R-MI), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Norton (D-DC), Devin Nunes (R-CA),
John Olver (D-MA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Collin Peterson
(D-MN), George Radanovich (R-CA), Michael Rogers (R-MI), Steven Rothman
(D-NJ), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Jim Saxton (R-NJ), Jan
Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), E. Clay Shaw (R-FL),
Chris Shays (R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Robert Simmons (R-CT), Hilda Solis
(D-CA), Mark Souder (R-IN), Fortney Stark (D-CA), Ted Strickland (D-OH), John
Sweeney (R-NY), John Tierney (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Visclosky
(D-IN), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Frank Wolf (R-VA), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA),
Albert Wynn (D-MD)

A.A..
17-10-2006