[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 19 (Friday, February 18, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E299]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE PEOPLE OF NAGORNO KARABAKH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 17, 2005

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the people of Nagorno 
Karabakh who began their National Freedom Movement seventeen years ago.
  On February 20, 1988, the people of Nagorno Karabakh officially 
petitioned the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for 
reunification with Armenia. This region had been placed within the 
borders of Azerbaijan in 1921 under the rule of Stalin, even though 96 
percent of the population of Nagorno Karabakh was ethnically Armenian.
  The response from Azerbaijan and the former Soviet Union on this 
request was violent. Military attacks against Nagorno Karabakh 
followed, resulting in a brutal campaign of aggression largely ignored 
by the outside world. This did not cause the people of Nagorno Karabakh 
to falter, for they continued to defend their freedom.
  Since declaring independence in 1991, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic 
has grown into an active and prosperous democracy. The first plenary 
sitting of the 10th session of the NKR National Assembly of the 3rd 
calling took place on February 9, 2005.
  The people of Nagorno Karabakh should be commended for their 
commitment to democracy and achieving sovereignty in the face of strong 
opposition from neighboring nations. The United States is honored to 
share such fundamental values with Nagorno Karabakh as democracy, 
liberty, and a profound respect for human rights.
  The people of the United States stand by our friends in Nagorno 
Karabakh in hoping for a peaceful resolution to their ongoing conflict 
with the Republic of Azerbaijan. Just as the people of Nagorno Karabakh 
saw the necessity of a peaceful secession from Azerbaijan seventeen 
years ago, so too must a peaceful resolution be achieved with this 
current conflict.
  For a people who have suffered so much in pursuit of self-
determination, the citizens of Nagorno Karabakh must not abandon hope 
for a greater future. Through their faultless commitment to democratic 
values and preservation of human rights, Nagorno Karabakh has made a 
laudable effort to achieve peace and will soon inspire its Azerbaijani 
neighbors to return to the peace process.
  Like so many who have undergone the pains of oppression, the people 
of Nagorno Karabakh must rest assured knowing that democracy breeds 
peace. The United States will continue to promote the cause of our 
democratic friends in Nagorno Karabakh, not yielding until the goals 
set forth on February 20, 1988, have been realized in full.

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