Frank Pallone: Karabakh makes steady progress on way of democracy

Nagorno Karabakh Parliament’s Speaker Ashot Goulian delivered a speech on September 28 at a special event initiated by U.S. Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chair Frank Pallone on the occasion of the Day of Independence of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

“In Artsakh, we were presented with no other option, but to make a difficult choice between deportation and self-defense. We chose the latter, and forced into a war imposed by Azerbaijan. Consequently, in 1994 the international mediators negotiated a ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh. The peace process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group is still underway. Here, I would like to use the opportunity to thank the United States, which shares with the Russian Federation and France, the international mandate for finding a peaceful solution to the conflict,” Asbarez agency quoted Ghoulian as saying.

“Today we mark the anniversary of independence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. I want to assure you that, just like in 1991, today my people’s aspiration remains unaltered – to live in its Homeland; to live in peace and dignity for the sake of security and prosperity of current and future generations, both of our people and of our neighbors,” he added.

Frank Pallone said: “Despite a devastating war and an ongoing Azerbaijani blockade, the people of Nagorno Karabakh have shown they are determined to live in freedom. They have made steady progress on the path of democracy and tonight we celebrate these significant gains.”

Armenian Ambassador to the United States Tatoul Markarian also delivered a speech in which he condemned Azerbaijan’s attempts to resume war. He also said that economical blockade imposed by Azerbaijan can’t bring people of Armenia and Artsakh to their knees as “the freedom is not for sale.”

During the event, nearly a dozen of Azerbaijanis were holding a rally near the U.S. Congress. However, the Azerbaijani activists were led out of the Congress territory on request of the Security Forces.