July 16, 2009

PRESS RELEASE
Tufenkian Foundation
Contact: Rick Barry
RBarry@Tufenkian.com

Standing Firm in Kashatagh
Tufenkian Foundation Preserves the Region’s Armenian Roots

NEW YORK-The Tufenkian Foundation today announced a new initiative on
behalf of Kashatagh (formerly Lachin), the province of
Nagorno-Karabagh that provides vital links to Armenia. The initiative
will focus on restoring and protecting Kashatagh’s historic monuments
and cultural artifacts, which attest to the region’s Armenian
character and background. The initiative comes only days after an OSCE
summit called for Karabagh’s withdrawal from so-called "occupied
territories," and is designed as a direct response to this affront to
Karabagh’s sovereignty and self-determination.

"Many people know Kashatagh to be the vital, strategic link between
Karabagh and Armenia," noted Foundation Director Antranig
Kasbarian. "Less known is that the region has Armenian roots
historically — roots that were torn out via massacre and deportation
in 1918-1920. Now that the region has been liberated, we believe we
must emphasize that Azerbaijan’s claims to it are artificial, and
cannot enjoy support from the international community."

To kick off this effort, the Foundation has begun renovating the
historic St. Minas Church (16th century), found in the village of Hak,
which traces its Armenian ancestry to the 11th century. After its
Armenian population was wiped out in a massacre by Azeri forces in
October 1918, Hak was reclaimed by Armenian forces in 1992 and is now
subject to an active resettlement policy by Karabagh
authorities. Alongside the church renovations, the Foundation will
also renovate nearby Armenian cemeteries and will build a new water
supply for the village, which currently houses 50 inhabitants.

This effort has been made possible by a generous grant from
Ms. Virginia Davies of New York City. Other supporters have also come
forward with offers of assistance, which will be publicized in coming
weeks.

For more information on the Tufenkian Foundation’s Kashatagh
Initiative, please contact Rick Barry at RBarry@Tufenkian.com.

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