SF 2864

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 05/02/2019 04:17pm

A resolution
recognizing the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, encouraging the Republic
of Artsakh to continue its efforts to develop as a free and independent nation, urging
the President and United States Congress to support the self-determination and
democratic independence of the Republic of Artsakh, and designating May 5 as the
day of statewide recognition of the Republic of Artsakh and the contributions of
Armenian and Artsakhi individuals to the state of Minnesota.

WHEREAS, the Republic of Artsakh, formerly known as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic,
located within the South Caucasus region of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, declared its
independence on September 2, 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union; and

WHEREAS, on December 10, 1991, the people of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic voted
in favor of independence, and on January 6, 1992, the democratically elected legislature of the
republic formally declared independence; and

WHEREAS, the Republic of Artsakh has historically been Armenian territory, populated by
an overwhelming majority of Armenians, and yet was illegally separated from Armenia by the
Soviet Union in 1921 and placed under the newly created Soviet Azerbaijani administration; and

WHEREAS, the Republic of Artsakh has fought to maintain its independence and achieve
international recognition despite military and political efforts by neighboring Azerbaijan, escalating
into armed conflict and resulting in civilian casualties, internally displaced persons, and human
rights violations between 1991 and 1994; and

WHEREAS, the Republic of Artsakh has continued to remain devoted to maintaining a
representative democratic government with political and civil rights for all citizens, holding free
and open elections as assessed by international observers; and

WHEREAS, the Republic of Artsakh has been recognized by eight states including California,
Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Rhode Island, and on May 5,
2016, the Government of Armenia approved a bill on recognition of the independence of the Republic
of Artsakh; and

WHEREAS, many Armenian and Artsakhi families have long called the state of Minnesota
their home and were welcomed in during the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide from 1914 to
1923, and have contributed to the culture, economy, and overall prosperity of the state of Minnesota;
and

WHEREAS, the state of Minnesota has a long-standing tradition and history of supporting
democracies, oppressed minority groups, and human rights throughout the world; NOW,
THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate of the State
of Minnesota that it recognizes the independence of the Republic of Artsakh and encourages the
Republic of Artsakh to continue to develop as a free and independent country, and formally calls
upon the President and United States Congress to recognize the independence of the Republic of
Artsakh for the purpose of strengthening cultural and economic ties with the Republic of Artsakh
and bringing peace and stability to the South Caucasus region, and designates May 5 as the day of
statewide recognition of the Republic of Artsakh and the contributions of Armenian and Artsakhi
individuals to the state of Minnesota.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is directed
to prepare copies of this memorial and transmit them to the President of the United States, the
President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United
States House of Representatives, the chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, the chair
of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in
Congress.