[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 119 (Tuesday, September 28, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H7716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THREATS MADE BY AZERBAIJAN AGAINST ARMENIA

  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 want to bring attention to recent 
statements made by high-ranking government officials in Azerbaijan that 
threaten the security of Armenia as well as the efforts towards a 
peaceful settlement over the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict.
  This issue, if not compellingly addressed by the administration, has 
the potential to undermine U.S. interests and American values in the 
strategically important Caucasus region.
  I refer to the recent remarks made by officials in the government of 
President Aliyev calling into question the very existence of Armenia. 
For example, as reported by Radio Free Europe, the Azerbaijani Defense 
Minister spokesman called for Azerbaijan's takeover of the entire 
territory of Armenia and removal of the entire Armenian population from 
the Caucasus. He went so far as to say, ``Within the next 25 years 
there will exist no state of Armenia in the south Caucasus.'' Given 
Azerbaijan's history of aggression against Armenians, these remarks 
cannot be dismissed as mere rhetoric.
  Furthermore, Azerbaijan recently blocked key NATO exercises in the 
country, due to their opposition towards having Armenian officers 
taking part in the exercises. In fact, in June 2003, Armenia served as 
the host country for similar exercises, to which Azerbaijani military 
forces were invited, yet refused to participate. This year, Armenia was 
one of several dozen countries due to participate, yet the initiative 
was blocked by Azerbaijan, which is continuing its efforts to undermine 
the prospects for peace in the Caucasus region.
  Azerbaijan's threats again Armenia's survival reinforce our 
commitment to maintaining parity in U.S. military aid to Armenia and 
Azerbaijan. This arrangement means even more today than when it was 
first put in place, particularly in light of Baku's increasingly 
aggressive posture towards Armenia. Any tilt in military spending 
towards Azerbaijan could, in our view, destabilize the region by 
emboldening the new Azerbaijani leadership to continue their threats to 
impose a military solution of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict.
  Just last week, the Republic of Armenia celebrated Independence Day 
marking 13 years of freedom from Soviet rule. We have seen considerable 
economic growth in the country. Despite the continuing illegal blockade 
by Turkey and Azerbaijan, a recent Wall Street Journal study found that 
Armenia remains the most economically free nation in the region. Today, 
Armenia is steadfast in its support of the U.S., as exhibited by their 
recent announcement of plans to send a unit of deminers, doctors and 50 
trucks, including staff and drivers, to assist the Coalition forces in 
Iraq.
  It is critical to note that Armenia is today, as it has always been, 
committed to the peace process and the terms agreed to in the Key West 
summit. Since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabagh and Azerbaijan 
conflict, Armenia has been committed to finding a peaceful resolution. 
Moreover, I cannot stress enough the crucial role that the U.S. plays 
in the negotiations over Nagorno-Karabagh to help the people of this 
region find a lasting and equitable peace. These threats by Azerbaijan 
undermine these efforts and seriously complicate our diplomacy in the 
region. A failure on our part to forcefully and publicly confront the 
Azerbaijan government over these destabilizing threats would, in our 
view, send extremely dangerous signals to Azerbaijan.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I hope that the United States takes action to 
condemn these remarks by the Azerbaijani government, and that we here 
in this Chamber do everything we can to ensure that all parties 
involved in this conflict make a genuine commitment towards peace and 
stability in the region.

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