ARMENIAN LOBBYISTS SUCCEEDED IN INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF NKR

news.am
May 10 2010
Armenia

Almost immediately after the Karabakh war, Hay Dat (Armenian Cause)
committees and Armenian lobbying organizations pushed forward the
idea of international recognition of the NKR, Hakob Ter-Khachatryan
an ARFD Bureau member, told NEWS.am, commenting on the statement by
the NKR Public Council, urging Armenian Diaspora organizations to
lobby for international recognition of the NKR.

However, the international community does not attach much significance
to the efforts by Armenian lobbyists, stressing the fact that Armenia
itself has not recognized the NKR independence so far. "However much we
explain that Armenia’s independence declaration says about Karabakh’s
reunion with the Motherland, and that it is ARFD’s ultimate aim, the
international community’s stance remains unchanged. Our adversaries
worked on the idea that recognition of independent states is not within
the competence of Parliaments. However, instead we lobby for the second
idea, namely, people’s right to self-determination. We should stress
this principle," Ter-Khachatryan said. He noted that Azerbaijan and
Turkey try to influence the international community, limiting the
principle of peoples’ right to self-determination and defining it as
"within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan." "We have succeeded
in this process, but we can do more, as it is a consistent struggle,"
he stated.

Ter-Khachatryan emphasized that the Armenian lobby has considerable
potential and is regarded as one of the strongest in the world, as it
has its offices in almost every country. "Therefore, we can raise the
issue of Nagorno- Karabakh people’s self-determination simultaneously
in Europe, Middle East, North and South Americas. Few lobbying
organizations have such a wide-spread network. Thus, we are among
the three most powerful lobbies in the U.S.," Ter-Khachatryan said.