Armenian National Committee of America
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Washington, DC 20006
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
REP. PALLONE SPEAKS OUT ON AZERBAIJANI WAR RHETORIC AGAINST ARMENIA
— Calls on Administration to Condemn Azerbaijani Actions; Cites
Importance of Military Aid Parity Between Armenia and Azerbaijan
WASHINGTON, DC – In a powerful statement on the House floor this
evening, Congressional Armenian Caucus Chairman Frank Pallone (D-
NJ) spoke about the dangers posed by increasingly inflammatory
Azerbaijani statements by President Ilham Aliyev and his Cabinet
Members, calling for a military takeover of neighboring Armenia and
the decimation of its population in the coming decades, reported
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
In his remarks, Rep. Pallone cited statements “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 Ministry 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, and I quote, ‘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
can’t be dismissed as mere rhetoric.”
Rep. Pallone continued to highlight Azerbaijan’s refusal to allow
Armenian troops to participate in NATO exercises in Azerbaijan,
despite Armenia’s willingness to allow similar participation by
Azerbaijan in exercises last year.
Noting Armenia’s ongoing commitment to the “peace process and the
terms agreed to in the Key West summit,” and “the crucial role that
the United States plays in the negotiations over Nagorno-
Karabakh,” Rep. Pallone called on the Administration to take
action. “A failure on our part to forcefully and publicly confront
the Azerbaijani government over these destabilizing threats would,
in our view, send extremely dangerous signals to Azerbaijan,”
explained the Congressman.
Last week, Rep. Pallone joined his Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) in urging their House Colleagues to
ask President Bush to publicly condemn Azerbaijan’s war rhetoric
and other increasingly bellicose remarks against the Republic of
Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. In a “Dear Colleague” letter sent to
the 141 Armenian Caucus members, Reps. Pallone and Knollenberg
cited the dangers of Azerbaijan’s ongoing war statements. The
letter to President Bush, which currently has 35 cosigners,
states:
“Efforts to reinforce stability and reduce the risk of conflict are
in the best interests of the United States and the region. The
Nagorno Karabakh peace process will achieve nothing if Azerbaijan
is allowed to risk war and predict ethnic cleansing with impunity.
To this end, we urge that you condemn these remarks and call upon
the government of Azerbaijan to desist in making any further
threats against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.”
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CONGRESSMAN FRANK PALLONE, JR.
FLOOR STATEMENT
URGING U.S. TO CONDEMN RECENT
THREATS MADE BY AZERBAIJAN AGAINST ARMENIA
September 28, 2004
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring your attention to recent
statements made by high-ranking government officials in Azerbaijan
that directly and significantly threaten the security of Armenia,
as well as 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 Ministry 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, and I quote, “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
can’t 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 of 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,
who is continuing its efforts to undermine the prospects for peace
in the Caucasus region.
Azerbaijan’s threats against 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 toward 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-Karabakh conflict.
Just last week, the Republic of Armenia celebrated its 2nd
Independence, marking 13 years of freedom from Soviet rule. We
have seen considerable economic growth in the country. Despite the
continued 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 can’t stress enough,
Mr. Speaker, the crucial role that the United States plays in the
negotiations over Nagorno-Karabakh, to help the people of this
region find a lasting and equitable peace. So, 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 Azerbaijani 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, and we here, in this Chamber, do
everything that 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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