STEPANAKERT: New South Wales State Labor MP, the Honourable Walt Secord has just concluded a visit to the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh – the first such visit by an Australian MP, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC Australia).
In NKR, Secord met with the chairman of the NKR National Assembly Ashot Ghulyan, visited memorials and held an interview with Artsakh TV.
Secord stated he is visiting Armenia and NKR for three main reasons:
1. To see Armenia first-hand and meet its people and leaders;
2. To learn more about the Armenian Genocide, visit the national museum and to honour the memory of the 1.5 million victims of the Genocide; and
3. To see the Mountainous Karabakh Republic - first hand.
Secord is the deputy co-chair of the NSW Parliament’s Armenia-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group and in the past has spoken in support of recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
Secord said the following about his impressions as the first Australian MP to visit NKR: "I have been told that I am the first Australian politician to visit the Mountainous Karabakh Republic, however, there have been French parliamentarians and American Congressmen before.
"While official recognition of the Mountainous Karabakh Republic is a matter for the Federal Australian Government, I feel I have a duty as the co-deputy chair of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Armenia to see Armenia and the Mountainous Karabakh Republic first-hand.
"The Mountainous Karabakh Republic's capital of Stepanakert is a city with a vibrant social, political and cultural life. It is remarkable that it was the subject of relentless bombing only 20 years ago. Today, it stands proud and beautiful.
"During my visit, I gave a commitment to the chairman of the Mountainous Karabakh Republic National Assembly that I would encourage my other state parliamentarians on the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Armenia to visit Armenia and Mountainous Karabakh Republic in 2012.
"The chairman of the National Assembly said he would like to see a delegation of NSW Parliamentarians with links to the Armenian community visit the region. I reiterated it would be an honour and a pleasure to return and land at Stepanakert's new airport when it opens.
"Finally, I informed the chairman that ANC Australia was instrumental in encouraging me to visit Armenia and the Mountainous Karabakh Republic and I thanked them for being effective advocates for Armenian-related issues in the Diaspora."
