Yesterday I sent off my third letter to the President in regards to my citizenship application. I will say in all fairness to the President that I believe that he has not yet been informed of this situation and want to believe that my letters are getting no further than Defense Council Secretary, Karen. Baburyan. For this reason, I have sent this strongly worded letter to him and hope that this time he will personally see it and respond in an appropriate manor. If not, I see no other choice than to have my influential friends here and in the Diaspora (meaning you and all the people I know who provide $$$ to Artsakh that the President seems to admire) flood the President�s office with letters to encourage him to resolve this issue. A few people who are not so fond of the President are trying to encourage me to release these letters to the voters here before the 11th. I guess I�ll play that one by ear.
7 August 2002
Esteemed Mr. President,
This is the third letter that I am writing to you regarding my application for Artsakh citizenship.
On 26 July 2002, I received a primitive, common and insulting letter signed by Defense Council Secretary K. Baburyan, in reply to my second letter to you and I am hopeful that this does not express Your opinion and thinking.
To recapitulate: In June 2000, NKR Prime Minister Anushavan Danielyan proposed to me to accept NKR citizenship, promising to do everything to bring the process to a positive conclusion. I accepted that proposal gladly, and in July 2000, I submitted my application for Artsakh citizenship addressed to You, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) together with all the necessary documents. To this they responded verbally that this process would take 3 to 6 months.
In August 2001, Mr. Sergey Nasibyan indicated to me that my application had been reviewed during the committee session to confirm the decision and had been sent to you in December 2000 for your signature.
After about one month of searching, I was able to locate my documents with Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) official Ararat Grigoryan, who indicated to me that they were waiting for a letter of agreement from the MFA, so they could complete this process and send the documents to You for signature. I immediately telephoned the MFA and had a phone conversation with Masis Mayilyan, who promised me to immediately send the requested letter to the MIA.
On 12 January 2002, Mr. S. Nasibian indicated to me that he was in possession of all the documents and that he was awaiting the letter of agreement from the MFA; and he promised that he would bring the issue for review in the next session of the government. After that, I met M. Mayilyan, who indicated that he was awaiting the report from the National Security Committee, and within a few hours of receiving said report he would send the letter of agreement to Mr. S. Nasibian.
On 11 February 2002, I contacted National Security Committee Chief, Mr. B. Sahakyan and learned that in addition to the above mentioned report, it was also necessary to receive 2 other reports, one of which was to come from the United States. Meanwhile, in May 2001 I had been informed that the MFA had requested information about me from the NKR representative in Washington and had received a reply with information as to the information of interest to them. After my telephone conversation with Mr. Sahakyan, I immediately contacted M. Mayilyan, asking him to send one copy of the above mentioned reply to the National Security Committee Chief, which he promised to do.
Regarding my request for citizenship, I applied a few times to National Assembly President, Mr. Oleg Yesayan, who assured me that there was no problem with this issue and that I could consider myself an NKR citizen. The last time he gave me that assurance was on 23 February 2002, when You had come with him to Martuni.
I do not consider it superfluous to note that, according to Article 14 of the NKR Constitution, the obtainment and termination of citizenship are determined by law. Persons of Armenian descent obtain citizenship by a simple sequence. If this is a simple sequence, then it is interesting to know what a "simple" sequence is.
From K. Baburyan's letter it appears that "in connection with constitutional changes related to citizenship, the NKR President's committee for granting NKR citizenship has not reviewed similar issues since July 1999. At present the NKR government is developing mechanisms for handing similar issues according to the NKR constitution presently in force."
It is at the very least amazing this specialist in jurisprudence is giving such a baseless response. Is it perhaps during the period of subjection to changes, in which the country has found itself over 3 years, not to say, that these changes according to Baburyan are not only being made, but have already been made? Therefore, what is the reason, that since July 1999, the Committee on Granting Citizenship Issues has not examined similar questions? Is it perhaps that the non-examination of similar questions is the basic reason for such prolongation and for delaying the resolution of this question?
I want to point out also that 3 American Armenians have already received NKR citizenship, and that I have also have the right to be an NKR citizen. And if You find that I am not worthy of it, I ask that you deny my request with valid reasoning, and not circumvent the question's essence by giving a response which says nothing.
Finally, I should add that it would be desirable to receive a response to my letter immediately, so that I have the opportunity to turn over the letters I have sent You and the answers You have given me to the international community, and particularly to the Diaspora Armenians, in anticipation of their impartial and fair-minded evaluation, and their moral and non-partisan assistance.
Respectfully,
Ara Khachig Manoogian
7 August 2002
Esteemed Mr. President,
This is the third letter that I am writing to you regarding my application for Artsakh citizenship.
On 26 July 2002, I received a primitive, common and insulting letter signed by Defense Council Secretary K. Baburyan, in reply to my second letter to you and I am hopeful that this does not express Your opinion and thinking.
To recapitulate: In June 2000, NKR Prime Minister Anushavan Danielyan proposed to me to accept NKR citizenship, promising to do everything to bring the process to a positive conclusion. I accepted that proposal gladly, and in July 2000, I submitted my application for Artsakh citizenship addressed to You, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) together with all the necessary documents. To this they responded verbally that this process would take 3 to 6 months.
In August 2001, Mr. Sergey Nasibyan indicated to me that my application had been reviewed during the committee session to confirm the decision and had been sent to you in December 2000 for your signature.
After about one month of searching, I was able to locate my documents with Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) official Ararat Grigoryan, who indicated to me that they were waiting for a letter of agreement from the MFA, so they could complete this process and send the documents to You for signature. I immediately telephoned the MFA and had a phone conversation with Masis Mayilyan, who promised me to immediately send the requested letter to the MIA.
On 12 January 2002, Mr. S. Nasibian indicated to me that he was in possession of all the documents and that he was awaiting the letter of agreement from the MFA; and he promised that he would bring the issue for review in the next session of the government. After that, I met M. Mayilyan, who indicated that he was awaiting the report from the National Security Committee, and within a few hours of receiving said report he would send the letter of agreement to Mr. S. Nasibian.
On 11 February 2002, I contacted National Security Committee Chief, Mr. B. Sahakyan and learned that in addition to the above mentioned report, it was also necessary to receive 2 other reports, one of which was to come from the United States. Meanwhile, in May 2001 I had been informed that the MFA had requested information about me from the NKR representative in Washington and had received a reply with information as to the information of interest to them. After my telephone conversation with Mr. Sahakyan, I immediately contacted M. Mayilyan, asking him to send one copy of the above mentioned reply to the National Security Committee Chief, which he promised to do.
Regarding my request for citizenship, I applied a few times to National Assembly President, Mr. Oleg Yesayan, who assured me that there was no problem with this issue and that I could consider myself an NKR citizen. The last time he gave me that assurance was on 23 February 2002, when You had come with him to Martuni.
I do not consider it superfluous to note that, according to Article 14 of the NKR Constitution, the obtainment and termination of citizenship are determined by law. Persons of Armenian descent obtain citizenship by a simple sequence. If this is a simple sequence, then it is interesting to know what a "simple" sequence is.
From K. Baburyan's letter it appears that "in connection with constitutional changes related to citizenship, the NKR President's committee for granting NKR citizenship has not reviewed similar issues since July 1999. At present the NKR government is developing mechanisms for handing similar issues according to the NKR constitution presently in force."
It is at the very least amazing this specialist in jurisprudence is giving such a baseless response. Is it perhaps during the period of subjection to changes, in which the country has found itself over 3 years, not to say, that these changes according to Baburyan are not only being made, but have already been made? Therefore, what is the reason, that since July 1999, the Committee on Granting Citizenship Issues has not examined similar questions? Is it perhaps that the non-examination of similar questions is the basic reason for such prolongation and for delaying the resolution of this question?
I want to point out also that 3 American Armenians have already received NKR citizenship, and that I have also have the right to be an NKR citizen. And if You find that I am not worthy of it, I ask that you deny my request with valid reasoning, and not circumvent the question's essence by giving a response which says nothing.
Finally, I should add that it would be desirable to receive a response to my letter immediately, so that I have the opportunity to turn over the letters I have sent You and the answers You have given me to the international community, and particularly to the Diaspora Armenians, in anticipation of their impartial and fair-minded evaluation, and their moral and non-partisan assistance.
Respectfully,
Ara Khachig Manoogian
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