Pallone Meets with Nagorno Karabakh President to Discuss the South Caucasus Region
Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, issued the following statement regarding his meeting with Nagorno Karabakh President Bako Sahakyan on Saturday in New York City. President Sahakyan was accompanied by Artsakh's Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev Martirosian and NKR Finance Minister Spartak Tevosyan.
"I was pleased to meet with President Sahakyan this weekend to discuss achieving an atmosphere of peace between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan. The November 2nd peace agreement signed in Russia was a promising first step, but Azerbaijan must cease violations along the line of contact if real peace is to be achieved. I am hopeful that the goal of peaceful relations between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan can be attained.
"With President-elect Obama preparing to take office next month, the United States must play a more active role in peace negotiations through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group. Our robust involvement is essential for all parties to commit to peace.
"It is necessary that the United States place an importance on the existence of the smaller states in the Caucasus. The conflicts over South Ossetia and Abkhazia are examples of a failed Stalinist approach to carving up the Caucasus. The United States must not ignore the unique cultural identities of the people of Nagorno Karabakh. As a country founded on self-determination, we must champion the rights of people everywhere to self-determination.
"In addition, I will also urge a shift in U.S. aid to Nagorno-Karabakh from humanitarian to developmental programs in the Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations package. I believe this shift from humanitarian to economic funding would greatly help rebuild Nagorno Karabakh's infrastructure. The assistance would also help secure the health and safety of the people of Nagorno Karabakh."