STEPANAKERT. – President of the National Assembly (NA) of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic), Ashot Ghoulyan, on Tuesday received Frank Pallone, Co-Chair of the US Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues and Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who has arrived in Artsakh on a two-day working visit. Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned this from the Artsakh NA press service.

Welcoming the congressman, Ghoulyan stressed the importance of Pallone’s regular visits to Artsakh, and which are the basis for submitting new initiatives and resolutions to the US Congress after each of his visits.

Also, the head of Artsakh’s parliament thanked the congressman for the video messages of his and his colleagues addressed to the people of Artsakh on the 30th anniversary of the Karabakh Movement, and noted that these messages, aside from inspiring the people of Artsakh, also affirm the US commitment to the absolute concept of freedom.

Congressman Frank Pallone, for his part, presented to the Artsakh NA speaker his and his colleagues’ forthcoming programs aimed at the need for maintaining a security balance in the region. He also expressed a conviction that the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict should be resolved only pacifically, while preserving the current components of Artsakh’s Armenian identity and security.

During the meeting, the parties stressed the importance of the US providing equal assistance to countries in conflict with one another, and in order to maintain a security balance in the region. Artsakh’s economy and energy sector were discussed, too.

Subsequently, the meeting continued with the participation of the headship of the Artsakh NA standing committees and factions and the members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations.

In his welcoming remarks, Artsakh NA President Ashot Ghoulyan noted that such meetings enable to neutralize Azerbaijan’s artificial attempts to isolate Artsakh and impart objective and unbiased information about Artsakh in the US and around the world. He referred also to the letters and draft resolutions addressed to the US government and Congress by Frank Pallone and the US Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, and which are aimed at counteracting Azerbaijan’s aggressive policy and assisting in easing tension in the region.

Congressman Frank Pallone, in turn, noted that the main objective of his visit to Artsakh is to show the world that Artsakh is an established and democratic state, and that with their visits they need to intensify cooperation between the Republic of Artsakh and the state systems of various countries.

During this meeting the discussants conferred on the US humanitarian programs being conducted in Artsakh and their funding.