Pallone Stresses Artsakh’s Self-Determination After Visit

WASHINGTON – Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) stressed Artsakh’s status as a full functioning state after visiting the nation on September 18^th in conjunction with an exchange of US and Armenian MPs.

The Congressman helicoptered to Artsakh with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) in the morning, stopped in Shushi to visit a technical school, then drove to Stepanakert to address the Artsakh parliament, followed by lunch with the speaker. He met with the President of Artsakh the day before and received a medal from the government in conjunction with his efforts to recognize Artsakh as an independent republic.

Pallone said that Artsakh deserves international recognition because it legally separated from the Soviet Union, exercising its self-determination with a referendum. It then defended itself in a difficult war and proceeded to set-up a democracy which exercises transparency and has achieved a level of economic development that is remarkable given the forces aligned against the country.

“Shushi is being transformed in one generation from a city that was mostly destroyed to one that has roads, housing and schools that are modern and up to date.  A lot of this is with the help of the Armenian diaspora. I visited a technical school financed primarily by French philanthropists. The students are eagerly learning building and construction trades that will be important to the continued redevelopment of Artsakh. Its facilities and equipment were similar to school in the US,”