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**Eddo211** · 04-19-2012, 05:34 PM

Re: Artsakh newsletter

April 1-15, 2012

Artsakh Newsletter summarizes key developments in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh and is prepared by the NKR Office in the United States.

SECURITY & POLITICS

U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton restated U.S. support for withdrawal of snipers from the Karabakh Line of Contact. Unlike Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan has rebuffed this suggestion by international mediators that can reduce tensions and casualties.

Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan again noted Azerbaijan's lack of desire to solve the Karabakh conflict. He also ruled out Turkey's role in the peace process.

Meeting with OSCE Minsk Group mediators, Nalbandyan highlighted the negative effect of Azerbaijan�s anti-Armenian propaganda on the negotiation process.

Artsakh�s incumbent president Bako Sahakyan declared his intention to run for a second term in office in presidential elections this July.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Sotk-Karvachar, the third highway to link Artsakh to Armenia, is nearly completed.

Artsakh continues to pursue the policy of energy independence. At present, NKR ensures around 70 percent of its energy needs through local sources.

Artsakh president visited Askeran and Martakert regions to convene working consultation on the issues of the regions� development.

SOCIETY

Artsakh president Bako Sahakyan congratulated NKR police officers on their professional day, stressing that Artsakh has one of the lowest criminal rates in the world, in part through the effective and dedicated work of Artsakh police officers.

Anastasia Taylor-Lind�s �The National Womb: Baby Boom in Nagorno-Karabakh� project won the prestigious Project Award 2012, organized by CENTER, a non-profit photographic organization.

A new documentary by Marina Grigoryan and Larisa Alaverdyan on Maragha massacre was presented to the public.

HISTORICAL REFERENCE

April 10 marked the 20th anniversary of the one of the bloodiest chapters of the Karabakh war. On April 10, 1992, Azerbaijani military units invaded the village of Maragha in Mardakert district. As a result of the aggression, hundreds of Maragha civilians, mostly women, children, and elderly person, were brutally killed, taken hostage or forcefully displaced. The fate of a number of them still remains unknown. Two weeks after the massacre, on April 22-23, the village was repeatedly attacked and locals who had come back to their burnt homes were forced to abandon the village, which has since been occupied by Azerbaijan. Baroness Caroline Cox, former vice speaker of the British parliament's House of Lord, visited Maragha area a few days after tragedy. She expressed her horror at the crime saying "They are not of human race" about those who carried out the slaughter, lately described in her book "Ethnic Cleansing in Progress�.

About the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh

The Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh, was established in 1991 basing on a declaration of the local legislature, and results of a subsequent nation-wide referendum. The people of Artsakh defended their choice in a war unleashed by Azerbaijan. The Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh has emerged as a democratic, rule-of-law state with capable armed forces, a growing market economy, and an independent foreign policy.

***

We would like to hear from you. Please send your comments to Press Service at: [email protected]

Please visit our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ArtsakhOnline

***

This material is distributed by the Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States on behalf of the government of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh. 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.

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, Artsakh. 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.

Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States

1334 G ST. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005

Tel: (202) 223-4330; Email: [email protected] Web: www.nkrusa.org

**arakeretzig** · 04-20-2012, 12:27 AM

Re: Artsakh newsletter

Originally posted by Eddo211 View Post

April 1-15, 2012

Sotk-Karvachar, the third highway to link Artsakh to Armenia, is nearly completed.

this could half the travel time by 2. great news.

**Eddo211** · 05-03-2012, 07:16 PM

Re: Artsakh newsletter

MEDIA ALERT: FOREIGN POLICY JOURNAL PUBLISHED ARTICLE ON KARABAKH CONFLICT

DATE: May 3, 2012

TO: Media Colleagues

RE: FOREIGN POLICY JOURNAL PUBLISHED ARTICLE ON KARABAKH CONFLICT

On May 3, 2012, Foreign Policy Journal published an article by Hovhannes Nikoghosyan.

Named �A War That Has Been Neglected Since 1994�, the publication covers issues of regional security and stability in the context of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, violations of cease fire regime as well as international involvement to prevent further escalation.

The full text of the article is provided below. You can also view it online at:

A War That Has Been Neglected Since 1994

http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2012/05/03/a-war-that-has-been-neglected-since-1994/

This is exactly the time when the international community should urge Azerbaijan to comply with long-negotiated confidence-building measures.

* * *

Foreign Policy Journal

A War That Has Been Neglected Since 1994 by Hovhannes Nikoghosyan May 3, 2012
Using the infamous quote of former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, this story below is about �a quarrel in faraway countr[ies] between people of whom we know nothing�. And this is not about Europe of late 1930�s, but about the periphery of Europe of 2012. I marked this quote listening to a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Northern Ireland, Mr. John McCallister, who was delivering a speech about the conflict settlement process in Northern Ireland at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)-hosted Ministerial conference in Dublin on April 27. Fortunately enough for all Irishmen, who suffered three decades of Troubles in their recent history, through the inclusive contribution of international mediators, and chief of them US Senator George Mitchell, as well as the maturity of the leaderships in London, Belfast, and Dublin, they became able to seal the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

When foreign diplomats or my fellow colleagues from political science disciplines elaborate on commonalities between the conflict in Ulster and others in, for example, the former Soviet Union areas, including Nagorno Karabakh, Abkhazia and South Ossetia (both now partially recognized by few states), and Transdniestria, I always pinpoint on two key differences: a) decisive international involvement; and b) maturity of political and community leaderships.

A smoldering conflict is often not about absence of any peace initiatives. It is substantially about an unwillingness of either of the parties to commit to negotiated agreements once out of the meeting room. This is especially true about the peace talks on Nagorno Karabakh, where the geography of negotiations since the ceasefire was established in 1994 (and even between the war of 1992-94) covers the most beautiful cities on the planet�Rome, Helsinki, Prague, Lisbon, Moscow, Paris, Key West, Madrid, etc.�while any progress is hardly visible. A �no war, no peace� situation has been the only and appreciated result of peace talks, which is now under increasing risk to erupt into conflict as both sides are engaged in a Cold war-style �deterrence� with extensive military buildup.[1]

Instead of going into the substance of current talks, here I want to offer another key difference, which still makes it impossible to heal wounds of enmity.

One of the most tragic events in the Troubles, �Bloody Sunday� of January 1972, may serve as an example to show one difference between Great Britain and Azerbaijan�two metropolises that had been trying to keep their conflict regions inside the common area. While after �Bloody Sunday� the Westminster immediately rushed into whitewashing the tragedy and justifying the killings of mostly unarmed civilian protesters in the streets of Derry, the Tony Blair Cabinet established the so-called Saville Inquiry in 1998, which came out with a final report in 2010 and contained rightful and lawful elaborations on the �usual suspects�. This bloody event might be much similar to what happened in Sumgayit, a town in still Soviet Azerbaijan in February 1988, where Armenians were being executed for the sake of their ethnic origins, just because few days before, on February 20, the legislature in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) capital Stepanakert applied with a petition to the Kremlin to re-join Soviet Armenia. The same policy of pogroms against Armenians later unfolded in Baku, Kirovabad, and other cities and villages of Azerbaijan in the late years of the Soviet Union�s existence. Though the Soviets staged some prosecutions to punish anti-Armenian pogroms in Sumgayit (and not anywhere else), only few suspects got prison terms for �hooliganism and mass riots�. Instead of blaming and shaming for the ethnic cleansings, which might have put the follow-up events into another channel, most suspects were freed in the courtrooms or sentenced to conditional terms. Absence of any �Saville Inquiry�, and moreover a policy of whitewashing the history and blaming Armenians themselves �for provocations that led to pogroms�, is what qualitatively distinguishes the Karabakh case from the success story in Northern Ireland. This is what I think the next similar conference, hosted by Irish Chairmanship of the OSCE, will need to address.

Before conflicting diplomats and mediators may come to terms for conflict resolution, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Nagorno Karabakh are still fighting.

The official releases from the Armenian Defense Ministry reported on April 27 that the Azerbaijani army has been shelling with sniper and artillery fire the borderland villages of Tavush region in Armenia, including onto a school and kindergarten.[2] Three soldiers of the Armenian army are reported to have been killed, another one wounded. Azerbaijani officials and the media indirectly confirmed the incident.[3] The Armenian Foreign Ministry urgently asked the Personal Representative of OSCE CiO to dispatch an emergency monitoring mission to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.[4] The two OSCE observers were already in place on April 30 and recorded the incidents carefully.

Recalling the vocabulary of the so-called Caroline affair, common in international law to describe justifications of legitimate self-defense, now the threat to Armenian frontlines is imminent. Immanency is vested on daily violations of ceasefire regime, including the recent shelling upon the borderland school and kindergarten, where ordinary civilians must enjoy the protection of their government against any threat to their life and health by any force� internal or external. This quite simple erga omnes obligation is enshrined in any Constitution across the globe, which gave rise to �Responsibility to Protect�, or R2P doctrine, affirmed by UN Security Council in Resolution 1674 (2006). As parliamentary elections in Armenia are due on May 6, this inflammable situation is specifically bold and affects the domestic political stability and threatens the national security more than ever, leaving for this tiny country in the Caucasus no other option than to engage militarily.[5]

Serzh Sargsyan, the President of Armenia, has already manifested an �inevitable� and devastating answer to punish for the ceasefire violation,[6] while OSCE Minsk Group co-Chairs (in attendance to OSCE Dublin conference on April 27) rushed to urge the parties �to abstain from retaliatory measures�.[7] The co-Chairs, who have attracted much criticism for a long time now, didn�t utter anything about strengthening the ceasefire regime monitoring capabilities. When there are no early warning mechanisms or permanent observer missions established on site, the sides will always remain prone to resuming the conflict.

This is exactly the time when the international community should urge Azerbaijan to comply with long-negotiated confidence-building measures � pulling back snipers[8] and allowing installation of ceasefire violation mechanisms to avoid any new escalation that the region is obviously rushing into while international conferences discuss �success stories�.

Notes

[1] Military expenditure in the South Caucasus; Stockholm International Peace Research Institute 2011: http://www.sipri.org/yearbook/2011/f...04-04A-04B.pdf

[2] News.am agency, 26/04/2012: http://news.am/eng/news/102879.html

[3] News.az agency, 30.04.2012 (in Russian): http://1news.az/politics/karabakh/20...015641090.html

[4] News.am agency, 28/04/2012: http://news.am/eng/news/103258.html

[5] Panarmenian News Agency, 28/04/2012,: http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/105253/

[6] Panorama.am News Agency, 27/04/2012: http://www.panorama.am/en/society/20...-sargsyan-mil/

[7] Statement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, 27 April 2012: http://www.osce.org/mg/90140

[8] Armenia �Still Ready� For Sniper Withdrawal In Karabakh, RFE/RL, November 25, 2011: http://www.rferl.org/content/snipers.../24402333.html

**Eddo211** · 05-11-2012, 07:09 PM

Re: Artsakh newsletter

Originally posted by arakeretzig View Post

this could half the travel time by 2. great news.

That is good news arakeretzig.....all the power to Artsakh.

**Eddo211** · 05-11-2012, 07:10 PM

Re: Artsakh newsletter

April 15-30, 2012

Artsakh Newsletter summarizes key developments in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh and is prepared by the NKR Office in the United States.

SECURITY & POLITICS

Azerbaijan has intensified its violations of the cease-fire agreement. On April 24, two servicemen of the Karabakh Defense Army were wounded when Azerbaijani forces opened fire on the Karabakh army ambulance vehicle wounded. On April 25, the Dovegh village in Tavush region of Armenia was shelled. A local kindergarten and other civilian buildings were evacuated after being hit by automatic gunfire from Azerbaijani army positions. On April 27, also in Tavush three off-duty Armenian army servicemen were killed when their civilian vehicle traveling on a border road came under fire. And later on the same day a Karabakh army serviceman was killed on the Line of Contact. In each case, Armenian forces undertook retaliatory punitive actions against the aggressor.

The attacks were condemned by international mediators, including the United States, which restated that there is no alternative to a peacefully negotiated settlement of the conflict.

Azerbaijani government continues to threaten regional security and stability. Last year, it increased its military budget by 89 percent, the biggest increase in the world, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Armenia�s Representative to the UN, Amb. Garen Nazarian responded to misinformation Azerbaijan continues spreading about Armenia and Artsakh aimed at escaping responsibility for its aggression against the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

A Franco-German ARTE TV channel broadcast a program about Armenia and Artsakh. While talking about Karabakh conflict, the program emphasized that Artsakh is a historically Armenian land that was forcefully granted to Azerbaijan.

The Irish Times published the article by Daniel McLaughlin about the Karabakh conflict that emphasized the readiness of Artsakh people to defend their homeland.

An article in the Foreign Policy Journal by Hovhannes Nikoghosyan called for international efforts to compel Azerbaijan to take long-recommended confidence-building measures, such as pulling back snipers, and other steps to help prevent a military escalation.

NKR Central Election Commission has registered four candidates for the upcoming presidential elections in Artsakh. Along with incumbent president Bako Sahakian, former member of NKR parliament Vitaliy Balasanyan, Deputy Director of State Agrarian University Arkadi Soghomonyan and currently unemployed Valeri Khachatryan expressed interest in running for president.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

NKR Ministry of Economic Development launched an initiative aimed at further computerization of Artsakh. NKR government will partially subsidize credit loans for its citizens to purchase new laptops and personal computers.

A new settlement will be established in the south of the Hadrut region, NKR in the nearest future. Fifteen families have already expressed willingness to relocate to the new settlement.

SOCIETY

Final preparations for festive celebration in Shushi and Stepanakert on the 20th anniversary of Shushi Liberation and Triple Holiday are in progress.

New anthem for Shushi is to be presented on May 8, with music composed by Avetis Berberyan and lyrics by Nushik Mikaelyan.

HISTORICAL REFERENCE

On April 24 the world marked the 97th anniversary of Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Turkey. The first genocide of the 20th century claimed the lives of more than one and half million Armenians - citizens of the Ottoman Empire. Despite a number of documented materials and recognition of the genocide by many governments and organizations, Turkey still denies this tragedy.

In Stepanakert, NKR President Bako Sahakyan and other leaders laid flowers to the monument commemorating the Genocide�s innocent victims. In his remarks on this tragic occasion, Artsakh president stated that the world should recognize Armenia Genocide, and that the Armenian people is grateful to those who raise their voice for justice.

The genocide commemoration events also took place all over the world including the United States capital. On April 25, 2012 the Annual Armenian Genocide Observance on Capitol Hill featured many members of U.S. Congress, as well as Armenia�s Ambassador to the U.S. Tatoul Markarian, and Artsakh Representative Robert Avetisyan.

About the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh

The Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh, was established in 1991 basing on a declaration of the local legislature, and results of a subsequent nation-wide referendum. The people of Artsakh defended their choice in a war unleashed by Azerbaijan. The Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh has emerged as a democratic, rule-of-law state with capable armed forces, a growing market economy, and an independent foreign policy.

***

We would like to hear from you. Please send your comments to Press Service at: [email protected]

Please visit our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ArtsakhOnline

***

This material is distributed by the Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States on behalf of the government of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh. 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.

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, Artsakh. 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.

Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States

1334 G ST. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005

Tel: (202) 223-4330; Email: [email protected] Web: www.nkrusa.org

**Eddo211** · 05-13-2012, 10:07 PM

Re: Artsakh newsletter

PRESS RELEASE

May 9, 2012

KARABAKH CELEBRATES LIBERATION OF SHUSHI
Hundreds of Guests Joined Artsakh in Celebrations

Washington, DC - This May 9 the people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh marked the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Shushi, historical one of the most important centers of Armenian culture. Artsakh people and foreign guests attended the festive events that included a large-scale military parade of the Artsakh Defense Army.

Shushi emerged as one of the most important cities for Armenians in the 18th and 19th centuries. The city was devastated in the early 20th centuries after several bouts of anti-Armenian violence. Remaining Armenian population fled the city in the late 1980s.

By the early 1990s, Shushi – which seats on a plateau above Stepanakert - became the base for Azerbaijan’s military operations, particularly the devastating shelling of Karabakh’s capital. In the months before its liberation, up to 400 missiles launched from Shushi would land in Stepanakert, driving its population into underground basement, causing hundreds of casualties and damaging more than half of the capital’s buildings. Azerbaijani control of Shushi also gave it control over the main road connecting Stepanakert to Goris in Armenia proper. The day is also marked as the day of the formation of the Defense Army of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

With survival of the Armenian Artsakh at stake, its self-defense forces launched the military operation to take Shushi early on May 8, 1992. After twenty-four hours of heavy fighting, in which over fifty Armenian soldiers paid the ultimate price, Azerbaijani forces panicked and fled Shushi. In subsequent operations Armenian forces from Artsakh opened a corridor to Goris that became known as “Road of Life” that allowed for key supplies to enter Artsakh and make its defense possible.

Also on May 9, Armenians join other former Soviet peoples to mark the victory over Nazi Germany in the WWII, in which hundreds of thousands of Armenians actively participated.

In his holiday address Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan noted that “May 9 is the day of a victory, the victory of nationwide unity and consolidation, freedom-loving spirit and an unshakable will…”

“May 9 is the victory day of all Armenians in the national liberation struggle, when all parts of the Armenian nation united around the noble idea of defending Artsakh. Everything was done for the sake of our sacred mission, for the fulfillment of our long-cherished aspirations, for the bright future of the Armenian nation”. * * *

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.

* * *

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.

**Eddo211** · 05-24-2012, 11:26 AM

Re: Artsakh newsletter

ARTSAKH NEWSLETTER

May 1-15, 2012

Artsakh Newsletter summarizes key developments in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh and is prepared by the NKR Office in the United States.

SECURITY & POLITICS

On May 9, Artsakh celebrated the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Shushi. Armenian President, hundreds of guests attended the festive events in Stepanakert and Shushi that included a large-scale military parade.

Shortly after a serier of Azerbaijani cease-fire violations on Armenia�s north-eastern border that left several Armenian army servicemen killed, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs declared their plans to visit the region to investigate the incidents. Following their visit they issued a statement, in which they expressed �concern over recent incidents along the frontlines, and urged the sides to exercise restraint and refrain from retaliation�.

�The people of Nagorno-Karabakh must decide their destiny�, Uruguay�s Foreign Minister Luis Almagro stated while in Yerevan. He condemned military rhetoric, and emphasized the importance to respect human rights, particularly the right to freedom and self-determination.

On separate occasions, parliaments of Sweden and Lithuania rejected initiatives to pass Azerbaijani government-sponsored resolutions. Both Riksdag and Seimas reiterated their support to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group.

May 5 was the deadline for candidates applications ahead of presidential elections in Artsakh set on July 19. According to the Central Electoral Commission, the four candidates are the incumbent President Bako Sahakyan; deputy of the NKR National Assembly, former deputy minister of defense Vitaliy Balasanyan; deputy rector of the Stepanakert branch of the Armenian State Agrarian University Arkady Soghomonyan and former Askeran district executive staff member Valeri Khachatryan.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

New multifunctional Europe business center was opened in Stepanakert. The center will accommodate business offices, hotel and bank.

Artsakh continues developing energy sphere. The ongoing investment programs and development of hydro energy is expected to turn the republic into energy exporter within years.

SOCIETY

NKR Statistical Service says Artsakh�s population has increased in January � March 2012 by 276 persons.

President Sahakian awarded art workers on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Stepanakert Musical College.

Eleven individuals were granted amnesty by the decree of the NKR president on the occasion of the Triple holiday in Artsakh.

HISTORICAL REFERENCES

1991 Ethnic Cleansing Campaign Against Armenians: Operation �Ring�

The spring of 1991 marked a new, violent phase in Azerbaijan�s policy of ethnic cleansing against Armenians from their historic land and homes both within Nagorno Karabakh and outside its then administrative borders. As a result of this operation encouraged by Azerbaijan and conducted primarily by Soviet internal security forces tens of thousands of Armenians were deported from their homes, dozens of Armenian settlements were completely devastated, destroyed and depopulated. This aggression marked an escalation of the Karabakh conflict into an open military confrontation.

1992 Liberation of Shushi

The liberation of Shushi on May 9, 1992 was one of the major successes of the Armenian forces in Artsakh during the 1991-1994 war. This military victory also symbolized the rebirth of the Armenian spirit that resonated far beyond Artsakh, to all corners of the world. In the following days Artsakh Defense Forces established a vital land-link with Armenia proper. Fierce battles continued throughout 1992-1994, but the Shushi operation made all subsequent victories possible.

1994 Cease Fire Agreement

May 12 marks an anniversary of the cease fire agreement signed by Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia. Azerbaijan, having sustained major military reversals and with its armed units pushed out of most of Artsakh and adjacent territories, was forced to sign a cease-fire agreement. Despite frequent violations of this agreement, the document remains one of the key achievements of the Karabakh peace process that helped re-establish stability in the South Caucasus region.

**Eddo211** · 05-24-2012, 11:28 AM

Re: Artsakh newsletter

OFFICE OF THE NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC IN THE USA
1334 G St. N.W., Washington, DC 20005
Tel: (202) 223-4330
Fax: (202) 223-4332
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.nkrusa.org

PRESS RELEASE
May 22, 2012

RHODE ISLAND CELEBRATES LIBERATION OF SHUSHI
Community and Dignitaries Join the Celebrations

Providence, RI - On May 20, 2012, The Armenian Community of the State of Rhode Island organized a special reception to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Shushi. Open-air reception and a concert were organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation�s Eastern U.S. Central Committee, the Armenian Cultural Association of Rhode Island and the Saints Vartanantz Armenian Church of Providence. US Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI), Mayors of Providence, Warwick and Cranston also attended the celebrations, and offered their remarks to congratulate the people of Artsakh with the Triple Holiday.

�We will support Karabakh economically, legislatively, and diplomatically to ensure that it prospers�, said Dikran Kaligian, member of the ARF Eastern Region�s Central Committee.

Addressing the gathering, Representative of Artsakh Robert Avetisyan talked about the importance of the 1992 victory, and expressed hope for future significant achievements. Avetisyan thanked the vibrant Armenian community of Rhode Island for their continued involvement and support of Artsakh�s aspirations to continue developing as a free and sovereign country.

On May 17, Rhode Island�s House of Representatives adopted a resolution supporting independence of Artsakh, and calling upon the U.S. government to recognize the sovereign NKR.

During the Artsakh Liberation War, on May 8-9, 1992 Artsakh self-defense forces launched a military operation intended to lift the siege of Stepanakert and end Azerbaijani bombardments of Karabakh�s capital. Shushi, a historically Armenian town by then cleared of all its Armenian population, became Azerbaijan�s military stronghold. After twenty-four hours of heavy fighting, Artsakh forces liberated the town, and moved further to break the blockade and open a corridor to Armenia. The corridor, which became known as "Road of Life,� allowed for key supplies to enter Artsakh and make its long-term defense possible.

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

**Eddo211** · 06-07-2012, 11:45 AM

Re: Artsakh newsletter

The City of Cranston Also Marks Shushi Liberation Day.

Mayor Fung Proclaims May 20 the Victory Day �Shushi�s liberation was the turning point in the long Nagorno Karabakh�, wrote Cranston Mayor Allan W. Fung in the special resolution that proclaimed May 20 Shushi City Liberation Day.
The resolution text stresses, that dozens of �Armenian liberators made the ultimate sacrifice so that others may live free from oppression and tyranny�.

Mayor of Shushi Garen Avakimyan sent a letter to Mayor Fung, in which he thanked the Mayor and the City of Cranston for celebrating the Shushi�s liberation, and adopting the resolution. The letter by Mayor Avakimyan, in particular, said: �Throughout its history, Shushi has always been playing a significant role in the cultural and educational life of the Armenian people�On behalf of the citizens of the free Shushi, I would like to thank you for your support. We look forward to further cooperation, and deepening of the friendship between our cities�.

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