[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E223-E224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING THE 28TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KHOJALY MASSACRE

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                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 27, 2020

  Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, this week marks the 28th anniversary of the 
massacre of hundreds of people in the town of Khojaly in what was the 
largest killing of ethnic Azerbaijani civilians in the course of the 
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Khojaly, which is located in the Nagorno-
Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, was once home to 7,000 people. 
Tragically, on February 26, 1992, Armenian armed forces massacred over 
600 unarmed people--including 106 women and 83 children--and left less 
than 2,000 survivors. Hundreds more became disabled due to their 
injuries. More than one hundred children lost a parent and 25 children 
lost both parents. At least 8 families were completely killed.
   Even though a ceasefire went into effect over two decades ago, more 
than 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh 
and seven surrounding districts, remain occupied and more than 1 
million Azerbaijanis remain unable to return to their home villages. 
Ongoing violence along the line of contact surrounding occupied 
Azerbaijani territory emphasizes the urgency of robust American 
participation in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in 
Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group as it works toward a peaceful resolution of 
the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict.
   Azerbaijan has been a strong partner of the United States and its 
allies. This cooperation has included: playing a leadership role in 
nonproliferation issues; providing troops to serve shoulder-to-shoulder 
with U.S. forces in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan; allowing transit of 
non-lethal equipment used by coalition forces through Azerbaijan to 
Afghanistan; construction of the Southern Gas Corridor from the Caspian 
Sea to Italy, thereby providing Europe with an alternative to Russian 
energy sources; and supplying 40 percent of Israel's oil. Azerbaijan 
also has a thriving Jewish community and has outstanding relations with 
Israel.

[[Page E224]]

   As Azerbaijanis throughout the world commemorate the massacre and 
continue to grieve the loss of loved ones, let us commit ourselves to 
supporting non-violent efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh 
conflict.

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