[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 27, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E198]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        REMEMBERING THE 21ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE KHOJALY TRAGEDY

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                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 27, 2013

  Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the 21st 
Anniversary of the Khojaly Tragedy, which occurred in this small town 
in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan on February 25-26, 1992. 
In the early 1990s, Azerbaijan was involved in a brutal conflict with 
its neighbor to the West, Armenia, and the repercussions from 
atrocities committed during that time still impact diplomatic and 
economic relations today. The Khojaly Tragedy is perhaps the worst 
single incident that occurred during this time, resulting in hundreds 
of lives lost, families devastated, and the town destroyed.
   Since a cease-fire was negotiated in 1994, these two nations have 
been locked in a dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, located 
within Azerbaijan but occupied by Armenian forces. The Minsk Group of 
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, of which the 
United States is a co-chair, was created to encourage a peaceful, 
negotiated resolution to this conflict, yet work remains in reaching 
this goal.
   In December 2012, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Mammadyarov addressed 
this situation as follows: ``As a result, our relations with Armenia 
are practically nonexistent. There is also a distinct lack of economic 
cooperation and trade between our two countries. Azerbaijan wants peace 
so that we can continue to grow our economy, develop our energy 
resources and advance our relations with Europe and our neighbors. But 
Armenia also has a stake in peace with Azerbaijan. The country is 
isolated in the region largely because of this conflict. It is excluded 
from all regional infrastructure and energy projects, such as the oil 
and gas pipelines passing from the Caspian Sea to Turkey and Europe via 
Georgia, as well as a new railroad line between Azerbaijan and Turkey 
through Georgia, to be inaugurated this year. When we can agree on 
lasting peace, Armenia could become a stakeholder in these regional 
projects.''
   A peaceful resolution of this conflict would benefit not only 
Azerbaijan and Armenia, but would ensure security and economic growth 
for the South Caucasus region.

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