Kashatagh: a blank page 15 years years

30-03-2008 12:58:18 – KarabakhOpen

The opening ceremony of the international conference on the development
of the region of Kashatagh was held in Berdzor on March 28, which is
organized by Tufenkian Fund to raise funding for the development of the
region. The participants of the conference were acquainted with the
results of studies, project proposals and the needs of the population.
On the next two days the potential sponsors will visit the settlements
after which the results will be summed up and agreement will be reached.

President Bako Sahakyan, members of government led by Prime Minister
Ara Harutiunyan, as well as the representatives of the Armenian
ministries of foreign affairs and industrial infrastructures
participated in the conference.

The representative of Tufenkian Fund to Armenia Andranik Gasparyan said
experienced people have gathered in the hall but this experience must
produce fruits.

The head of the fund James Tufenkian said they have two main goals ` to
wake up people, to have them realize the strategic importance of the
region of Kashatagh which is the basis of our national security, as
well as to have people learn about the state of the region, the
conditions in which the people of Kashatagh live. I am proud to say
welcome to Kashatagh, James Tufenkian said.

Mr. Tufenkian displayed a book and said it is the history of the war in
Artsakh where perhaps the names of many participants of the conference
are found. He turned over a blank page and said it is the modern
history of the region of Kashatagh. James Tufenkian said when Kashatagh
was liberated, he was in his comfortable apartment in New York, praying
for victory but did not suffer. He thanked everyone who has come to
live in Kashatagh in such difficult conditions.

He underlined that the conference came to being because Bako Sahakyan
became the president of Karabakh.

There are no representatives of the OSCE, the UN, the U.S.
administration, governments of other countries which do not care about
the security of Karabakh, he said. Instead, James Tufenkian says, there
are representatives of the governments of Armenia and Karabakh,
Armenian organizations, and Karabakh can develop only through their
effort.

NKR President Bako Sahakyan thanked Tufenkian Fund for such an
important initiative. He underlined that the region of Kashatagh is a
strategic unit for the Armenians worldwide. It is not accidental that
for over 70 years our foe used this region as a wedge tapped between
Armenia and Karabakh. We realize the strategic and economic importance
of the development of the region, strong Kashatagh will make us
stronger in the talks, the head of state said. The president of NKR
said the government of NKR is likely to invest immense funds in the
development of Kashatagh and thinks it is a political and economic
priority.

In 2008 the NKR government allocated 3.7 billion drams for the
development of Kashatagh of which 1 billion in construction. The area
of the region is 3 thousand sq km, but there are only two hospitals and
two ruined medical stations. We need to reconsider the policy of
settlement of the region and solution of social problems, said the head
of state, noting that it can be done with assistance from Armenian
organizations.

In the conference participated the Armenian Assembly of America, the
AGBU, the Armenian Relief Fund, the Armenian Relief Society, the
Pan-National Educational and Cultural Union, the House of Cilicia, the
Armenian Evangelist Society, Provence Armenie, the representatives of
the Armenian communities of Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Canada, Armenia Fund,
Agape, Ararat Heritage Trust (U.K.), Armenian Educational Fund,
Armenian Technological Group, Armenia Tree Project, Hayrenik Union,
Hand in Hand, Izmirlian Fund (Switzerland), Najarian Fund (U.S.). The
representatives of Turpanjian Fund, Gurgen Melikyan Fund, Shen also
participated in the conference. The representatives of the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun, Heritage Party, Armenian National Union, National
Unity, Prosperous Armenia, as well as the Karabakh political parties
ARF Dashnaktsutyun and Azat Hayrenik also participated in the
conference.