The Washington Diplomat

Letters to the Editor

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Dear Editor,

I would like to thank The Washington Diplomat for its generally accurate coverage of the June 28 public event on Nagorno Karabakh at the U.S. Institute of Peace ("Emotions Run High on Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict" by Anna Gawel, Diplomatic Pouch, 6/29/06), but will take issue with your claim that Karabakh "is officially recognized as belonging to Azerbaijan by the rest of the world, including Armenia."

Things are not as clear cut. The United States, which along with France and Russia, spearheads the international mediation in the Karabakh peace process, has repeatedly stated that Karabakh's status must be addressed as part of negotiations and that the position of Nagorno Karabakh people must be respected. The two most recent proposals developed with the help of the mediators in 2001 and this year do not endorse Azerbaijan's claim on Karabakh, and generally respect Karabakh's right of self-determination.

And certainly Armenia has never recognized Karabakh as "belonging to Azerbaijan" and maintains well-developed, multi-dimensional relations with the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. For almost fifteen years, my country has been de-facto independent, developing efficient state institutions, conducting its own security, foreign and economic policies, and holding regular elections that have been consistently praised by international observers as free and transparent.

Sincerely,

Vardan Barseghian
Representative of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic

Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036

Tel: (202) 223-4330
Fax: (202) 315-3339
Email: info@nkrusa.org
Web: www.nkrusa.org