[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 59 (Monday, April 18, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HOSTILITIES BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA

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                           HON. RYAN K. ZINKE

                               of montana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 18, 2016

  Mr. ZINKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my deepest concern over the 
recent surge in hostilities along the Line of Contact between Armenia 
and Azerbaijan which needlessly claimed dozens of lives on both sides.
  These skirmishes come just days after a successful visit by 
Azerbaijani President Aliyev with Vice President Biden and Secretary 
Kerry. Azerbaijan has been a staunch ally to the United States. It is 
critical to regional stability and global security that the recent 
hostilities are deescalated.
  It is no secret that Russia does not support the Southern Gas 
Corridor Project. This pipeline has been championed by Azerbaijan and 
would provide critical energy security for America's friends and allies 
in Europe. Accordingly this latest upsurge in fighting is another sign 
of Moscow's meddling in the affairs of states along its borders. As we 
have seen in Eastern Ukraine and Georgia, Russia continues to exploit 
separatist movements along its periphery to pressure our friends and 
allies in the region. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that 
Armenia, Russia's key regional ally, has been used as a proxy to 
intimidate our partners, including Azerbaijan and Georgia.
  These latest hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia remind us of 
the urgency to find a peaceful solution to the protracted conflict. I 
urge the Administration to step up its efforts towards a peaceful 
solution and work with both sides to stabilize the region. Meanwhile, 
in the face of increasing Russian interference and aggression against 
its neighbors, the United States must remain steadfast in its support 
of friends like Azerbaijan.

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