Thursday, May 25 2023 17:09

ArmInfo. The Arizona State Legislature has affirmed the Republic of Artsakh's (Nagorno Karabakh)  right to self-determination in a proclamation issued by Arizona State House Speaker Ben Toma, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

"We welcome the proclamation from the Speaker of Arizona's State  Assembly recognizing Artsakh's right to self-determination - an  important step towards justice for the Armenians of Artsakh,"  remarked ANCA National Board Member Zanku Armenian. "Amid  Azerbaijan's blockade of Artsakh, this demonstration of solidarity is  a crucial part of our community's ongoing efforts to raise awareness  of this unfolding humanitarian catastrophe and ensure Azerbaijan is  held accountable for its unabated aggression against the Armenian  people. This proclamation is a testament to the tireless advocacy of  Arizona's Armenian- American community, and the ANCA looks forward to  continuing to work alongside local activists in the state to ensure  our community's voice is heard at every level of government."

Arizona Armenian community leaders Artur Artenyan and Vartan Arabyan,  working in conjunction with the ANCA, spearheaded the legislative  effort. The proclamation cites Artsakh as "the indigenous homeland of  the Armenian people, and has been a center of Armenian cultural,  political and religious life for several millennia."

It goes on to document Soviet Azerbaijan's decades of Artsakh  oppression and post-independence aggression, "culminating in an  assault on Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 that saw Azerbaijan perpetrate  war crimes against the region's Armenian population, and resulted in  Azerbaijan seizing control of 70% of Karabakh's territory."

The proclamation salutes the Artsakh Armenians "efforts to exercise  the right to self-determination and live free from violence and  repression, and by recognizing the government of Artsakh, the  international community can help put to rest this century-old  conflict."

Arizona House Speaker Toma then affirms support for the "Republic of  Nagorno- Karabakh's right to self-determination, and its continuing  efforts to develop as a free and independent nation, in order to  guarantee its citizens those rights inherent in a free and  independent society; and be it further, I encourage the United States  government to strengthen and solidify our country's economic and  cultural relationship with the Artsakh Republic and its citizens and  continue to promote the humanitarian and economic rehabilitation of  the region."