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ARTSAKH NEWSLETTER Vol. 6, no. 2 February - May 2004 The ARTSAKH NEWSLETTER is a publication of the NKR
Office in Washington, In this issue… 1. LIBERATION OF SHUSHI, VICTORY AND NKR DEFENSE ARMY DAY MARKED IN ARTSAKH May 9 marks a triple holiday in Nagorno Karabakh - Liberation of Shushi, establishment of the Defense Army and the victory of the Allies in the Second World War. Public celebrations and sport competitions took place throughout Nagorno Karabakh, drawing large crowds of people. On May 8, an official delegation from Armenia, headed by President Robert Kocharian, arrived in Stepanakert to take part in the festivities. The following morning, the Armenian delegation joined President Arkady Ghoukasian and other senior officials in a wreath laying ceremony at the monuments of the legendary Artsakh Liberation War hero Ashot "Bekor" Ghoulian and Marshal of the Soviet Union Hovhannes Baghramian. The group also visited the Memorial Complex to pay tribute to the soldiers killed during the Artsakh War and Second World War. The dignitaries visited Shushi, stopping on the way at the monument to the first tank that led the way to Shushi's liberation in 1992, and laid flowers at the monument to the late Prime Minister of Armenia and Artsakh Hero, Vazgen Sargsian. That night, an open-air concert was held in Stepanakert
with a special performance by the units of the Defense Army. Popular
singers and performers from Armenia and Artsakh entertained a crowd
of several thousand people at the central Revival Square in Stepanakert.
The concert was followed by a spectacular fireworks show. 2. NKR PRESIDENT ARKADY
GHOUKASIAN'S MESSAGE On May 9, in connection with the holiday, NKR President Arkady Ghoukasian issued a message to the people of the NKR, which, in particular, reads: May 9 is a great holiday for our country. This day has always been dear to our nation. Not very long ago, on May 9 we celebrated the victory of our common Motherland against fascist Germany in the Great Patriotic War, a war where every second soldier from Artsakh was killed. However, 12 years ago May 9 acquired a special meaning for us, becoming distinctly significant for the Armenians of Artsakh. On this day Shushi was liberated and again became Armenian, as it should be. Shushi was liberated by the NKR Defense Army, which surprised the world with its valor and military efficiency. On May 9 the Army also celebrates the day of its creation. Thanks to the successfully conducted Shushi operation, the "Road of Life" to mother-Armenia was opened, which saved the Artsakh people from the threat of full physical annihilation. This is the historical importance of the liberation of Shushi. It is very symbolic that we celebrate these three holidays on the same day. This coincidence symbolizes the succession of generations. The glorious military traditions of our grandfathers and fathers, who worked miracles of courage and valor during World War II, were duly continued by the new generation of the people of Artsakh, who obtained and defended the freedom and independence of Artsakh in the battles against the enemy, which greatly surpassed them in number and arm. Eternal memory to all those who perished for the happy future of Artsakh! The duty of the living is not to let the blood shed by them be in vain. Glory to our war veterans! The government will continue paying great attention to their needs and problems. The NKR Defense Army, formed in the furnace of the struggle for independence, remains the most reliable guarantor of the security of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and its people. Today, when Azerbaijan tries to hinder the course of history, cherishing revanchist hopes to solve the Karabakh problem by force, we have no right to weaken the military construction; we must equip the army with most modern weapons, and increase its fighting skills. At the same time, I restate with full responsibility that the NKR Defense Army is an army of peace. Its priority was and remains the defense of Nagorno Karabakh and its population from external aggression. I assure you that our army is ready to properly repulse the enemy if it dares to violate our peaceful life and encroach upon our independence. Dear compatriots, these May holidays coincide with another important date: 10 years ago Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia signed an agreement to cease-fire in the area of the Karabakh conflict. At that time, Azerbaijan had to recognize Nagorno Karabakh as a party to the conflict and signed the armistice only due to the success of our army. And the merit that the cease-fire regime has held belongs first of all to the strength and power of the NKR Defense Army, which defends our motherland. That's why our army is one of the most efficient guarantees of maintaining the peaceful process of the settlement of the conflict with Azerbaijan. I would like to assure you that the NKR leadership remains committed to the peaceful settlement, considering it to be without alternatives in the solution of the Nagorno Karabakh problem. My congratulations to you on the Day of our common
Victory, dear people of Artsakh! I wish all of us peace, prosperity
and happiness!"
On April 28 Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev met for the second time in recent months in an attempt to revive negotiations on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Both presidents characterized the meeting that took place on the sidelines of the European Economic Forum in Warsaw, as 'very constructive' and agreed to continue the dialogue. The French, Russian and US Co-Chairmen of the Organization of Security and Cooperation of Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group joined the first part of the meeting, leaving the leaders to negotiate one-on-one for the remainder of the talks. The newly appointed U.S. Co-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann, who replaced Rudolf Perina, also characterized the meetings as very useful. On his visit to Armenia in early May, Mann met Armenian and NKR leaders and voiced the U.S. government's support for continuing the peace process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, saying that the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict was in the national interests of the United States. He also said that he intended to visit Stepanakert during his next visit to the region. In related news, on February 23 the Rapporteur of
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Nagorno
Karabakh Terry Davis visited Stepanakert for the first time with a fact-finding
mission. He met Nagorno Karabakh President Arkady Ghoukasian, the National
Assembly Chairman Oleg Yesayan and other senior government officials.
On March 17 President Ghoukasian met with an OSCE delegation headed
by the organization's Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Affairs
Minister Solomon Passy. The president underlined the necessity of NKR's
participation in the negotiation process and called on Passy to create
conditions for direct talks between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan.
For his part, Passy pointed out the necessity of restarting negotiations
among the involved parties and also noted that as the current Chairman
of OSCE he will make every effort to achieve it. 4. NAGORNO KARABAKH'S GDP GREW 20% in 2003 At a recent cabinet meeting NKR Prime Minister Anoushavan Danielian announced that the real gross domestic product (GDP) growth reached 20 percent, while the exports amounted to $14 million. He said that the growth was due to the government's decision to attract investors with significant tax incentives, market liberalization and elimination of monopolies. Since its introduction in 2000, the policy has had a great impact on the level of foreign investments and on the state of economy as a whole. Businessmen from Armenia, Australia, Great Britain, Iran, Lebanon, Monaco, Russia, Switzerland, United States have already invested in NK' s economy, bringing in around $40 million. The investments of Karabakh Telecom company (Lebanon), for example, have already reached $10 million, while the tourism industry is being developed by Australian, Iranian and American investors. Foreign investments impact positively on the development of Karabakh's industry. As a result, in 2000, industrial growth amounted to 17 %, in 2001 it reached 22 %, in 2002 - 36 %, and in 2003 - 44 %. Danielian mentioned the Drmbon copper and gold mines as well as Martuni and Karmir Shuka wine distilleries as examples of successful businesses. Currently, about 18 business proposals, mainly in the energy sector, are awaiting investments. The Prime Minister hopes that in the near future NKR will be able to export energy. According to the National Statistics Service, a similar level of economic growth was registered in the first quarter of this year. In January-March 2004, the volume of the gross domestic product (GDP) made 6.1 billion drams ($11m, $1 = 550 drams) having grown by 23%. Nagorno Karabakh's industrial output reached 3.8 billion drams ($6.9m) in the same period, having increased by almost 70% as compared with 2003. The volumes of realized production made 3.2 billion drams ($5.8m), and the volume of production of consumer goods made 1.4 billion ($2.5m) drams instead of 1 billion ($1.8m) last year. The volume of agricultural production made 1.4 billion
drams ($2.5m) in the same period with an 8% increase over 2003. The
average salary is 36,170 drams ($66), having increased by 14% compared
with the last year's average. In January-March 2004, the volume of foreign
trade turnover made 14.7 billion drams ($26.8m), having increased by
44% compared to the same period of last year. 5. NKR PM: RESTORATION OF SHUSHI IS OF PAN-ARMENIAN IMPORTANCE Given Shushi's historical and cultural value, the restoration and repopulation of the town must become a priority for Armenians around the world. NKR Prime Minister Anoushavan Danielian proposed to organize a Pan-Armenian conference with the aim of turning Shushi into a cultural and tourist center of the South Caucasus - a status the town enjoyed until early 1900s. Shushi was significantly damaged during the Karabakh war in 1991-1994. Taking advantage of its commanding position over Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno Karabakh, after expelling its Armenian population, Azeris turned Shushi into a launching pad for artillery attacks. Karabakh Armenian forces reclaimed control over Shushi in May 1992. Prime Minister Danielian says, if given a priority,
Shushi can be restored within 5 years. 6. KARABAKH HOSTS CHESS
TOURNAMENT A first major international sporting event concluded
this week in Stepanakert amid largely unsuccessful efforts by Azerbaijan
to undermine it. The Tigran Petrosian memorial tournament brought together
some of the strongest chess players from Armenia, Latvia, Georgia, Iran,
Poland, Russia and Switzerland. Petrosian, an Armenia native, was the
world champion for much of the 1960s, before being defeated by Boris
Spassky. Spassky, now a French national and retired from the game, was
the guest of honor at the Stepanakert tournament.
* * * 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 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.
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