[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 120 (Wednesday, September 15, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H8353-H8354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 FOREIGN OPERATIONS BILL CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PROMOTING PEACE AND 
                       PROSPERITY IN THE CAUCASUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, this House voted to appoint 
Members to the House Senate Conference for the fiscal year 2000 foreign 
operations appropriations bill. This evening I want to call on the 
conferees to support certain key provisions to help the people of 
Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh and to promote the goals of peace and 
economic growth in the entire south Caucasus region.
  During the August recess, several colleagues and I took part in a 
congressional delegation to the south Caucasus. Our itinerary included 
stops in Armenia, Nagorno Karabagh, and Azerbaijan. We met with the 
presidents and other political leaders, American business people and 
investors and aid workers implementing humanitarian assistance 
programs. We also had the opportunity to meet with people who had been 
victimized by the conflicts and the natural disasters that have struck 
the region.
  I hope that our recent visit to Armenia, Nagorno Karabagh, and 
Azerbaijan has helped to generate added momentum for a negotiated 
settlement that could open up new avenues for greater regional 
integration and cooperation. I applaud the fact that the presidents of 
Armenia and Azerbaijan have met several times in the last few months in 
an effort to resolve the Karabagh conflict. In our meetings with all 
three presidents, we suppressed the importance of direct negotiations 
maintaining the 1994 cease-fire and other confidence-building measures.
  The fiscal year 2000 foreign operations bill approved by the House 
and the Senate included a number of initiatives that will help to 
promote regional cooperation, security and economic growth in the 
southern Caucasus region. I appreciate the works of the appropriators 
and would ask the conferees to include the following items in the final 
version of this legislation.
  First, Mr. Speaker, I hope the conferees will adopt the Senate 
earmark of $90 million for Armenia with a sub earmark of $15 million 
for the earthquake zone in the Gyumri area of northern Armenia which is 
still trying to recover from the devastating 1988 earthquake. It is 
important for the United States to maintain our support and partnership 
with Armenia as that country continues to make major strides towards 
democracy as evidenced by the May 30 parliamentary elections, as well 
as market reforms and increasing integration with the west. U.S. 
assistance also serves to offset the difficulties imposed on Armenia's 
people as a result of the blockades maintained by Azerbaijan and 
Turkey. The needs in the earthquake zone particularly for new housing 
construction requires special assistance.
  I also strongly support the language in the House version directing 
the Agency for International Development to expedite delivery of $20 
million to the victims of Nagorno Karabagh, those victims residing in 
Nagorno Karabagh itself through September 30 of 2000. Last month in 
Stepanekart, I met with the organizations administering these aid 
programs and was impressed with their needs as well as their ability to 
deliver necessary services. This assistance previously appropriated, 
but not yet obligated, is as the House language makes clear not to be 
provided to the governments of Azerbaijan or Armenia.
  I also urge the conferees to adopt the House language stating that 
the extent and timing of U.S. and multilateral assistance other than 
humanitarian assistance to the government of any country in the 
Caucasus region should be proportional to its willingness to cooperate 
with the Minsk Group and other efforts to resolve regional conflicts. 
The leaders of Armenia, Nagorno Karabagh, and Azerbaijan all understand 
the importance the U.S. places on progress being made with the peace 
process, and I stress the potential for a peace dividend in my 
discussions with the leaders in August and believe that all countries 
of the south Caucasus need to be mindful that U.S. assistance is 
dependent upon movement towards peace.
  I also urge that the conferees adopt the House language supporting 
the confidence-building measures discussed in the April 1999 summit 
here in Washington in furtherance of a peaceful resolution of the NK 
conflict especially in the vicinity of Nagorno Karabagh. These measures 
include strengthening compliance with the cease-fire, studying post-
conflict regional development such as transportation routes and 
infrastructure, establishing a youth exchange program and other 
collaborative initiatives to foster greater understanding among the 
parties, and reduce hostilities.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to stress the importance of maintaining 
section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. There is a clear bipartisan 
support in both houses for preserving this law which restricts certain 
direct government-to-government assistance to Azerbaijan until that 
country lifts its blockades of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.
  The bottom line is that the conditions for lifting section 907 have 
not

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been met, and I hope the government of Azerbaijan will recognize that 
it is in Azerbaijan's own interests to lift the blockades so that 
section 907 will no longer be necessary. In the meantime, Congress must 
be clear: until steps are taken by Azerbaijan to lift the blockade, 
section 907 stays.

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