OFFICE OF THE NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC IN THE USA
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20036
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PRESS RELEASE
September 24, 2007
CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING ON FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN ARTSAKH
U.S. Representatives Congratulate NKR President Sahakian on Assuming
Office
Washington, DC – Three members of the Independent American
Monitoring Delegation spoke on Capital Hill September 19 on
democracy building in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh.
Vladimir Matic, Paul Williams and Meghan Stewart, all affiliated
with the Washington-based Public International Law and Policy Group
(PILPG), reiterated the main conclusion of their election monitoring
report in which they assessed this summer’s vote as "free and fair".
In his opening remarks, Vardan Barseghian, the NKR Representative to
the United States, thanked congressional friends for their
outstanding leadership on issues impacting the people of Artsakh.
Speaking about Artsakh’s democratic development, Rep. Barseghian
said: "Just eighteen days after its referendum on independence in
1991, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic held its first democratic
parliamentary elections. These elections marked the beginning of a
difficult, complex but fruitful process of democratic state building
amidst significant internal and external challenges."
Ambassador Vladimir Matic, a retired diplomat now teaching
international relations at Clemson University, headed the group’s
mission to Artsakh. He said that Karabakh’s conduct of the summer
2007 election is one of the "best examples" of democratic practices
that they have ever observed having monitored elections in a dozen
of other post-conflict areas. He also noted progress compared to
past elections in Artsakh.
Paul Williams, a former State Department lawyer and currently a
professor at the American University specializing in conflict
resolution and post-conflict legal development, argued that
"Karabakh has made much more progress in terms of its constitutional
development" than Kosovo and urged the international community to
take note of this progress.
Meghan Stewart discussed the details of their monitoring mission
which included visiting nearly 50 polling sites in all of Karabakh’s
electoral districts and meeting with presidential candidates and
civil society representatives.
The congressional briefing was spearheaded by the Co-Chairs of the
Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), who wanted to provide an opportunity for
Members of the U.S. Congress and their staff to hear about
developments in Nagorno Karabakh.
"The United States Congress has championed economic aid to Nagorno
Karabakh to assist with post-conflict rehabilitation of the region.
We know that the U.S. assistance has helped alleviate the needs, but
much more needs to be done," said Rep. Joe Knollenberg.
"Today, we were very pleased to hear from the American election
observers that Nagorno Karabakh has also steadily progressed in
democratic development. The United States should support Karabakh in
this effort," echoed Rep. Frank Pallone.
Earlier this month, Representatives Knollenberg and Pallone sent a
joint letter to Mr. Bako Sahakian, the winner of this summer’s vote,
congratulating him on assuming the presidency of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic, Artsakh. In their letter, the two congressional
leaders emphasized the importance of democratic elections and the
ensuing democratic transfer of power in Artsakh.
"We have stood with the people of Artsakh along your heroic path to
liberty and we continue standing with you in your noble efforts to
strengthen your democracy, build a better life for your people and
achieve formal, international recognition of Artsakh’s
independence," the letter said in part.
NKR Rep. Barseghian thanked the two Co-Chairs of the Armenian Caucus
for their staunch support of Artsakh. He also thanked the Armenian
Assembly of America (AAA), the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA) and the US-Armenia Public Affairs Committee (USAPAC).
"We look forward to continue working with our American friends
towards ensuring a more stable, secure and prosperous Caucasus,
which also serves the U.S. strategic interests. An independent,
democratic, prosperous and formally recognized Nagorno Karabakh
Republic must be part of that picture," stressed 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.
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The full report of the Independent American Monitoring Delegation is
available at
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This material is distributed by the Office of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic in the USA on behalf of the Government of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic. The NKR Office is registered with the U.S.
Government under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. Additional
information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington,
D.C.