On the occasion of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s twentieth anniversary of independence, the Armenian Assembly’s Northern California Regional Council (NCRC) held a briefing featuring Robert Avetisyan, NKR Representative to the United States, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA).

The Bay Area audience also heard remarks from Andrew Lyons, Vice President of HALO Trust USA, and AAA Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.

Mr. Avetisyan provided a historical overview of Karabakh as well as current-day issues and challenges explaining how “during almost the seven decades of Nagorno-Karabakh’s existence within Soviet Azerbaijan - a part of the Soviet Union - the authorities in Baku regularly violated the rights of Karabakh Armenians, hampered the region’s economic development, and implemented a policy of deportation of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, thus transforming the demographic composition of the region in favor of its Azerbaijani minority.”

“Today, Artsakh is an independent state capable of defending its citizenry and the process of depopulating our homeland by the Azeri authorities has ended. Nor do we intend that they should have the opportunity to resume such policies and violations of basic human rights,” Avetisyan added.

Introduced by Armenian Assembly ARAMAC Northern California State Chair and NCRC Member, Valina Agbabian, Ardouny focused his remarks on the current environment in Washington, DC and urged those present to stay actively involved to ensure that Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia receive the attention they merit as well as ongoing U.S. assistance to develop their economies.