ARTSAKH CELEBRATES ITS INDEPENDENCE DAY
By Kim Gabrielian

AZG Armenian Daily #159
04/09/2007

Nagorno-Karabakh

The 16th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Nagorno
Karabakh, as it is the custom, was celebrated with a series of culture
and sports events in Stepanakert. The most remarkable event in the
celebration of Artsakh’s Independence Day in 2007 was the inauguration
of the new house of Parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh. Speaker of the
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Torosian, who
was present to the opening ceremony, confessed that the he liked the
house of the Parliament of Karabakh much more than that of RA. In
his turn Speaker of the National Assembly of NKR noted that 16 years
ago Artsakh had neither the modern life conditions nor the powerful
army. The inauguration ceremony ended with an exhibition of Baze
Hrayr’s photographs.

On that day an exhibition was also organized by the painters of
Karabakh, who were representing their canvases devoted to the themes
of freedom and independence. Another exhibition in Stepanakert
was dedicated to historic and cultural researches on the liberated
territories throughout 1990-2005.

Another noteworthy event was the opening of a new village in Karabakh,
Vardout, which was constructed from very zero in the wilderness,
and not rebuilt on a place of an older one. The village is provided
with all infrastructures and all communal facilities.

Deputy of the RA National Assembly and head of the "Heritage" party
Raffi Hovannissian represented his legislation project on recognition
of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. He stated that the people of
Artsakh have earned that right long ago and the Republic of Armenia
has to adopt that fact de jure.

Speaker Tigran Torosian objected that the recognition of the
independence of Karabakh mustn’t be declarative. He said that each year
the National Assembly and the Government of Armenia, elaborating the
state budget, are always providing for an intergovernmental credit
to Karabakh. Moreover, Armenia is engaged in negotiations and is
defending the common interests of both the countries. He added that
the official recognition of the independence of Karabakh shall take
place "only when the time comes".