State of Maine recognizes the independence of Artsakh Republic

The state of Maine today adopted legislation recognizing the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh and calling upon both the U.S. President and Congress to support the democratic independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, reported the Armenian National Committee of America – Eastern Region. Asbarez.com writes about this.

The Maine resolution was spearheaded by Rep. Scott Hamann, a respected member of the state legislature representing Maine’s 123rd House District, which includes South Portland and Cape Elizabeth. He was joined by Rep. A.M. Gattine (Westbrook) and S. Gideon (Freeport) as lead cosponsors in support of the resolution. Rep. Hamann worked closely with the ANCA of Maine and key community leaders, chief among them Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte, a Baku pogroms survivor, lawyer, and noted author of the book “Nowhere: A Story of Exile.” The measure, which was brought to the floor for a vote earlier today and adopted unanimously, makes Maine the third U.S. state to pass legislation recognizing the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

“I am so proud of my state, the State of Maine, for supporting the right of the free Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh to freedom, democracy and independence through self-determination,” said Astvatsaturian Turcotte. “I hope other states follow their sister states Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine and do the right thing.”

The joint resolution, HP-987, in a series of whereas clauses, sets forth the facts regarding Nagorno Karabakh and its enduring struggle, with the support of the American people, for freedom in the face of both Soviet and, more recently, Azerbaijani intolerance, violence, and outright aggression. The measure, in addition to calling for formal U.S. recognition of Artsakh’s independence, praises Nagorno Karabakh for its “constructive involvement with the international community’s efforts to reach a just and lasting solution to security issues in that strategically important region.”

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