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Karabakh objects to US drug trafficking report
Mediamax news agency
14 Apr 06
Yerevan, 14 April: The foreign minister of the Nagornyy Karabakh
republic (NKR), Georgiy Petrosyan, and NKR's Police Chief, Lt-Gen
Armen Isagulov, have sent a letter to Anne Patterson, US Assistant
Secretary for International Narcotics and Law-Enforcement Affairs,
saying that "Nagornyy Karabakh is not a transit route for drug
trafficking".
The letter says that "unlike in previous years when mutual
understanding on this issue was reached following an explanation
provided by the Karabakh authorities, the US Department of State's
International Narcotics Control Strategy Report for 2006 again
mentions Nagornyy Karabakh and territories under its control as a
transit route for drug trafficking".
"Having no doubt that this inaccurate information was provided by
Azerbaijan which has made falsifications and efforts to discredit
Armenia part of its state policy, we are expressing our strong
objection to the fact that unconfirmed information once again has been
included into such an authoritative report although relevant
international agencies have never reacted to the Karabakh authorities'
repeated invitations to form an independent monitoring group and send
it to Karabakh to study the situation on the spot," the authors of the
letter said.
"We assure you once again with full responsibility that Nagornyy
Karabakh is not a transit route for drug trafficking not only because
there is no transport and communications system due to Azerbaijan's
ongoing blockade of the NKR, but mainly as a result of efficient
preventive measures taken by the NKR law-enforcement agencies," the
letter says.
"On behalf of the NKR authorities, we express readiness to receive a
special monitoring group which can give an independent conclusion. We
believe that a thorough examination on the spot will convince the US
Department of State of the validity of the information provided above
and relieve all concern over issues that can complicate the Karabakh
peace process even further and make prospects for peace and stability
remote," the letter reads.
Mediamax news agency
14 Apr 06
Yerevan, 14 April: The foreign minister of the Nagornyy Karabakh
republic (NKR), Georgiy Petrosyan, and NKR's Police Chief, Lt-Gen
Armen Isagulov, have sent a letter to Anne Patterson, US Assistant
Secretary for International Narcotics and Law-Enforcement Affairs,
saying that "Nagornyy Karabakh is not a transit route for drug
trafficking".
The letter says that "unlike in previous years when mutual
understanding on this issue was reached following an explanation
provided by the Karabakh authorities, the US Department of State's
International Narcotics Control Strategy Report for 2006 again
mentions Nagornyy Karabakh and territories under its control as a
transit route for drug trafficking".
"Having no doubt that this inaccurate information was provided by
Azerbaijan which has made falsifications and efforts to discredit
Armenia part of its state policy, we are expressing our strong
objection to the fact that unconfirmed information once again has been
included into such an authoritative report although relevant
international agencies have never reacted to the Karabakh authorities'
repeated invitations to form an independent monitoring group and send
it to Karabakh to study the situation on the spot," the authors of the
letter said.
"We assure you once again with full responsibility that Nagornyy
Karabakh is not a transit route for drug trafficking not only because
there is no transport and communications system due to Azerbaijan's
ongoing blockade of the NKR, but mainly as a result of efficient
preventive measures taken by the NKR law-enforcement agencies," the
letter says.
"On behalf of the NKR authorities, we express readiness to receive a
special monitoring group which can give an independent conclusion. We
believe that a thorough examination on the spot will convince the US
Department of State of the validity of the information provided above
and relieve all concern over issues that can complicate the Karabakh
peace process even further and make prospects for peace and stability
remote," the letter reads.