[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 83 (Thursday, June 14, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H3184-H3185]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NAGORNO-KARABAGH PEACE PROCESS

  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, I come to the House floor this afternoon to 
discuss some disturbing developments in the Nagorno-Karabagh peace 
process among Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabagh.
  In April, the leaders of two of these nations, Armenia and 
Azerbaijan, met in Key West, Florida, and all indications were that 
they were getting closer to reaching a peace agreement. Despite such 
indications, Azerbaijan's president, Jeydar Ailyev, has effectively 
called a halt to the peace process, and now declares that Azerbaijan is 
``ready for war at any time it is needed''.
  Obviously, Mr. Speaker, this statement not only does not promote 
peace, but actually serves to increase tensions. If Azerbaijan's leader 
is serious about ending the conflict between his country and Armenia, 
he should stop catering to militant factions within his country. This 
conflict has been going on for over 10 years now and is being 
unnecessarily drawn out by Mr. Ailyev.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States is one of the co-chairs of the Minsk 
Group, the body under the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
Europe, the OSCE, charged with facilitating a negotiated settlement to 
this dispute. Besides the political investment in the peace process, 
our Nation also has a vested interest to bring about stability in this 
region.
  In order to achieve this, Azerbaijan and Armenia must embrace greater 
economic integration, development of infrastructure and cooperation in 
other areas. This is the path that President Ailyev must be encouraged 
to follow. Indeed, the benefits to his country would be significant by 
opening his nation to substantially more trade, investment and 
assistance. However, any kind of economic cooperation between the two 
countries must begin with Azerbaijan lifting a decade long blockade on 
Armenia.
  Mr. Speaker, section 907 of the Freedom Support Act makes the United 
States' position on this blockade very clear to Ailyev, and he has 
tried unsuccessfully to demand repeal. What section 907 does is to 
effectively limit some forms of direct American aid to Azerbaijan until 
that country lifts its blockades of Armenia and Karabagh. It is 
important to know that this law has no effect on humanitarian aid, 
democracy building measures, as well as OPIC, TDA and Ex-Im engagement.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to strongly encourage Mr. Ailyev to 
drop the refusal to accept direct participation of representatives from 
Nagorno Karabagh in the negotiations. The Nagorno-Karabagh conflict is 
not only a bilateral dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. While 
these countries must obviously be part of the negotiations and the 
final settlement, the people of Karabagh, who have their own 
democratically elected government, must have a seat at the table. After 
all, it is their homeland and their lives that are at stake in this 
peace process. No one else should be allowed to make life and death 
decisions for them.
  Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh have continued to reiterate their 
commitment to the peace process even in the face of stalling and the 
ongoing threatening comments coming from Azerbaijan.
  These tactics are nothing new. In November of 1998, the OSCE 
submitted a comprehensive peace proposal to Armenia, Azerbaijan and 
Nagorno Karabagh. Despite serious reservations, both Armenia and 
Nagorno Karabagh accepted a peace proposal as a basis of negotiations. 
Azerbaijan summarily rejected it.
  On June 14, 1999, the Azeri military attacked Karabagh's defensive 
forces along the Mardakort section of the Line of Conflict between 
Azerbaijan and Karabagh. Representatives of the OSCE, who visited the 
area, confirmed this act of aggression.
  Mr. Speaker, Armenia's Foreign Minister, Vartan Osakian, said this 
past week that Armenia was ready to resume talks. He also urged 
Azerbaijan not to deviate from the ``Paris principles'', the 
understanding developed by the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents 
during two rounds of talks in the French capital in January and March, 
and in Key West in April this year.
  According to Ambassador Carey Cavanaugh, the U.S. representative to 
the Minsk Group, these negotiations have made real progress. He stated 
in an interview with the U.S. Department of State that both presidents 
felt that, after their last meeting, that substantial progress had been 
made that exceeded both their expectations.
  Mr. Speaker, Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh are ready to settle this 
dispute. They have fully committed to

[[Page H3185]]

 peace and have fully cooperated at every turn with OSCE 
representatives. They have taken risks for peace despite a decade-long 
blockade of their countries and frequent acts of Azerbaijani 
aggression.
  I strongly urge President Ailyev, if he is serious about peace, to 
come back to the negotiating table, cease all calls for military 
action, and end the oppressive blockade against Armenia and Nagorno 
Karabagh.

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