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59 Congress Members Urge President Bush to Support NKR Aspirations

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  • 59 Congress Members Urge President Bush to Support NKR Aspirations

    OFFICE OF THE NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC IN THE USA
    1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036
    Tel: (202) 223-4330
    Fax: (202) 315-3339
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Web site: www.nkrusa.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    October 3, 2005

    FIFTY-NINE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS URGE PRESIDENT BUSH TO SUPPORT NKR
    ASPIRATION TO LIVE IN FREEDOM

    On the occasion of the 14th anniversary of Nagorno Karabakh's
    independence, over fifty Members of Congress joined with the
    Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, Frank
    Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), in sending a letter
    to President Bush, calling attention to `the important progress
    being made by the people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh,
    towards freedom, peace and prosperity.'

    The September 28 letter outlined the difficult road taken by the
    Artsakh people to secure their freedom and to build a democratic and
    economically viable country. It went on to cite the parallels in
    the U.S. and Nagorno Karabakh commitment to freedom and democracy.
    The congressional letter said, in part: `A de-facto independent
    state, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is a country of proud citizens
    committed to the values of freedom, democracy and respect for human
    rights. We, as Americans cherish and defend these same values at
    home and internationally. . . Above all, the Unites States should
    unequivocally support the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to
    decide their own future.' The full text of the letter is provided
    at the end of the release.

    `We thank our congressional friends for defending the values of
    freedom, democracy and prosperity,' said NKR Representative in the
    United States Vardan Barseghian. `These universal values are dear to
    the people of Artsakh as we continue building a rule-of-law,
    democratic country, contributing meaningfully to peace and stability
    in the strategic South Caucasus region.'

    `We call on the United States and other nations to recognize the
    independence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, thereby affirming the
    right of the people of Artsakh to live in freedom without fear of
    violence, oppression, and persecution,' 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.

    * * *
    (The following is the full text of the congressional letter sent to
    President George W. Bush on September 28, 2005)

    September 28, 2005

    The Honorable George W. Bush
    President of the United States
    The White House
    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
    Washington, DC 20500

    Dear Mr. President:

    We write to draw your attention to the important progress being made
    by the people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh, towards
    freedom, peace and prosperity. The United States has played a
    critical role in Nagorno Karabakh's progress, offering crucial moral
    support for the Nagorno Karabakh democracy movement, providing
    desperately needed humanitarian assistance, and working for peace
    within the OSCE Minsk Group. As we champion freedom for all peoples
    around the world, we should also continue supporting the aspirations
    of people of Artsakh to live in freedom, particularly in the
    strategically important South Caucasus.

    The path to freedom has not been easy for the people of Nagorno
    Karabakh. Following a peaceful demand by Karabakh's legislative
    body to reunite the region with Armenia in 1988, Azerbaijan launched
    an ethnic cleansing campaign against individuals of Armenian decent.
    As a result, thousands of ethnic Armenians were killed, while some
    400,000 fled Azerbaijan to escape killings. On September 2, 1991,
    the people of Nagorno Karabakh, consistent with the laws in force at
    the time, declared their independence. The Declaration of
    Independence noted Azerbaijan's policies of discrimination against
    the Armenian people, the resultant need to restore friendly
    relations between Armenian and Azerbaijani people and respect for
    the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In response, Azerbaijan
    launched an all-out war against the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, which
    killed thousands, destroyed Nagorno Karabakh's economy and forced
    some 450,000 Azeries to flee from territories around Nagorno
    Karabakh. The consequences of a devastating war and an ongoing
    Azerbaijani blockade have all failed to break Nagorno Karabakh
    people's determination to live in freedom.

    Since their independence, the people of Nagorno Karabakh have
    steadily progressed on the path of democracy and conducted regular
    elections, which were praised by international observers as free,
    fair and transparent. While strengthening its democratic
    institutions, Nagorno Karabakh has also successfully transitioned
    from a Soviet-inherited centrally-planned economy to a market
    economy. Despite significant setbacks, Nagorno Karabakh has largely
    restored its infrastructure and introduced reforms to encourage
    private enterprise and foreign investments.

    The United States is proud to support a nation whose citizens are
    eager to enjoy democratic rights and freedoms, develop their
    economy, and create a better future. The U.S. direct humanitarian
    assistance to Nagorno Karabakh has contributed significantly to
    rebuilding Karabakh's war-torn economy. Yet, more needs to be done.
    Humanitarian assistance to Nagorno Karabakh should be continued and
    also expanded to include a development component to meet the
    challenges of Karabakh's fledging market economy.

    With its democratically elected government, capable armed forces and
    an independent foreign policy, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic clearly
    satisfies the international criteria for statehood. Throughout its
    14-year history of independence, Nagorno Karabakh has proven to be a
    reliable partner of the international community. Nagorno Karabakh
    has contributed meaningfully to peace and stability in the strategic
    South Caucasus, a goal the United States shares.

    A de facto independent state, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is a
    country of proud citizens committed to the values of freedom,
    democracy and respect for human rights. We, as Americans, cherish
    and defend these same values at home and internationally. We stood
    with Nagorno Karabakh when its people challenged the legacy of the
    Soviet totalitarianism, contributing to the democratization of the
    former Soviet Union and to the end of the Cold War. This policy
    should continue through expanded dialogue with the democratically
    elected leadership of Nagorno Karabakh and an increased U.S.
    humanitarian and development assistance. And above all, the United
    States should unequivocally support the right of the people of
    Nagorno Karabakh's to decide their own future.

    Thank you for your consideration of our concerns.

    Sincerely,

    [signed]

    Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Howard Berman (D-CA),
    Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Michael Capuano
    (D-MA), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Ben Chandler (D-KY), Jim Costa
    (D-CA), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Anna Eshoo
    (D-CA), Bob Filner (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Scott Garrett
    (R-NJ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Rush Holt
    (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Steve Israel (D-NY), Jesse Jackson
    (D-IL), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Mark Kirk
    (R-IL), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander Levin (D-MI), Nita Lowey (D-NY),
    Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney
    (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Thaddeus McCotter
    (R-MI), James McGovern (D-MA), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Martin Meehan
    (D-MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Candice Miller (R-MI), Grace
    Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Frank Pallone, Jr.
    (D-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), George Radanovich (R-CA), Mike Rogers
    (R-MI), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Bobby
    Rush (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), E. Clay Shaw
    (R-FL), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Hilda Solis
    (D-CA), Mark Souder (R-IN), Ted Strickland (D-OH), Christopher Van
    Hollen (D-MD), Peter Visclosky (D-IN), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), and
    Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).

    * * *

    NOTE: A PDF version of the letter is available upon request.

    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.
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