On March 29, the House of Representatives of the U.S. State of Hawaii adopted a resolution H.R. 167 entitled “Honoring and Recognizing the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic”.

The text of the resolution follows:

Resolution

HONORING AND RECOGNIZING THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH REPUBLIC.

 

WHEREAS, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is an ethnically Armenian region in the South Caucasus that has a long and storied past and holds a cherished place in the Armenian people's history and culture; and

WHEREAS, on December 10, 1991, after decades of struggle, the people of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence; and

WHEREAS, the Nagorno-Karabakh people's persistent demand for self-determination was an inspiration to people of many nationalities in the region, and became one of the catalysts for the fall of the former Soviet Union; and

            WHEREAS, through the course of the last two decades, the people of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic have shown tenacity and perseverance in the face of war, massacres, economic deprivation, and other tremendous hardships; and

            WHEREAS, for more than twenty years, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has stayed true and faithful to its citizens by remaining independent, by working to bring change and stability to the Caucasus region, and by holding free and fair elections and referendums that have been widely declared as a model for the region; and

            WHEREAS, many international observers, including those in the United States, have assessed the May 3, 2015, parliamentary elections in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as free and transparent; now, therefore,

            BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2016, honors and recognizes the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and its citizens; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body recognizes the sacrifices made and dedication, and resolve shown by the people of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in the face of extreme adversity; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body extends its best wishes for the peace, prosperity, and continuing success of the people and government of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body encourages the international community to recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic as a free, independent, and sovereign democracy; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic through its representatives visiting the State of Hawaii; and that additional certified copies be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and Hawaii's congressional delegation.