Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]
Internet
PRESS RELEASE
June 10, 2009
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL DODGES BOXER QUESTION ON AZERBAIJANI
THREATS
— Praises Azerbaijani President for "Good Faith" Efforts
WASHINGTON, DC – A senior State Department nominee, under
questioning from Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) as part of his Senate
confirmation process, avoided her direct question about
Azerbaijan’s pattern of military threats against Nagorno Karabagh,
choosing instead to respond by praising Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev for cooperating in "good faith" with the Nagorno Karabagh
peace process, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA).
"Remaining silent on Azerbaijan’s war threats ? particularly when
these warnings of war are raised in such a direct, well-documented,
and public manner before the United States Senate ? only emboldens
leaders in Baku to continue down the path to renewed aggression,"
said Aram Hamparian, ANCA Executive Director. "The unwillingness
of our State Department to publicly confront these open threats is
inconsistent with our role as an honest broker in the Nagorno
Karabagh peace process, and, ultimately, undermines the prospects
for a durable settlement of this conflict."
The nominee, Andrew Shapiro appeared before the panel, which was
chaired by Senator Boxer, on June 3rd, and submitted his written
responses to her questions earlier this week. Shapiro has been
nominated by President Obama to serve as Assistant Secretary of
State for Political-Military affairs at the State Department. He
currently serves as a Senior Advisor to Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton. Prior to this position, he served for eight years as the
Senior Defense and Foreign Policy Advisor for then-Senator Clinton.
Senator Boxer also asked Shapiro about the Administration’s
proposal to break the longstanding Congressional policy of
maintaining military aid parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Shapiro responded by justifying this recommendation that the
Congress enact an unprecedented tilt in military aid toward Baku by
noting that, unlike Armenia, "Azerbaijan has a large naval and
maritime security component in order to help secure energy transit
routes, and to counter proliferation and drug trafficking on the
Caspian Sea."
The full text of the Boxer-Shapiro written exchange is provided
below.
#####
Questions for the Record Submitted to
Assistant Secretary – Designate Andrew Shapiro by
Senator Barbara Boxer (#1)
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
June 3, 2009
Question:
In October 1992, Congress enacted the FREEDOM Support Act, which
authorizes assistance to the independent states of the former
Soviet Union.
The Act included a restriction on U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan
until the President determines, that "the Government of Azerbaijan
is taking demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other
offensive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh."
But the 2002 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act included
language giving the President the authority to waive this
restriction if he determines and certifies to Congress that U.S.
assistance to Azerbaijan will, among other things, "not undermine
ongoing efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement between Armenia
and Azerbaijan."
Many of my constituents are concerned that this waiver continues to
be used despite the fact that the Government of Azerbaijani has
repeatedly suggested that violence should be used to resolve the
longstanding conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.
In March 2008, Azerbaijani President Aliyev said that his country
was ready to take back Nagorno-Karabakh by force if necessary and
that "we have been buying military machinery, airplanes and
ammunition to be ready to liberate the occupied territories, and we
are ready to do this."
In June 2008 at a military parade, President Aliyev stated that "we
should be ready to liberate our territories by military force at
any moment."
And in an October 2008 speech, President Aliyev pledged to "follow
a policy of a total offensive" against neighboring Armenia in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
I find these statements extremely disconcerting, particularly as
President Obama’s budget calls for an increase from $18.5 million
to $22.1 million in U.S. aid to Azerbaijan.
Do you believe President Aliyev’s comments undermine efforts to
negotiate a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
Are you concerned by Azerbaijan’s repeated calls to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by military means? What, if anything,
does this mean for continued U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan?
Answer:
Since November of 2008, there has been an unprecedented diplomatic
effort by the OSCE Minsk Group, of which the United States is a co-
chair, to advance a political settlement of the conflict.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has cooperated in good faith
with all of these efforts. In November 2008, President Aliyev
joined Armenian President Serzh Sargsian and Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev in signing a declaration reaffirming their
commitment to a political settlement of the conflict ? the first
document signed jointly by Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents
since 1994. Since then, President Aliyev has met personally with
President Sargsian in Switzerland on the margins of the World
Economic Forum, in Prague at the EU Eastern Partnership Summit, and
in St. Petersburg.
We are committed to working with both sides on the issue of Nagorno
Karabakh to find a peaceful, just, and lasting settlement.
Assistance provided to Armenia and Azerbaijan in the interim will
not undermine ongoing efforts to negotiate a settlement between
Armenia and Azerbaijan, but will instead contribute to shared
security interests like peacekeeping operations, maritime security,
and defense reform and modernization.
Questions for the Record Submitted to
Assistant Secretary – Designate Andrew Shapiro by
Senator Barbara Boxer (#2)
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
June 3, 2009
Question:
In its FY 2010 budget request, the Administration requested $4
million in Foreign Military Financing for Azerbaijan and only $3
million for Armenia. It also requested $900,000 in
International Military Education and Training funding for
Azerbaijan and $450,000 for Armenia.
This appears to break the longstanding congressional policy of
maintaining military aid parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
What is the justification for these aid levels?
Answer:
Military assistance levels for both Armenia and Azerbaijan are
carefully considered to ensure they do not affect the region’s
military balance or undermine efforts for a peaceful settlement in
Nagorno-Karabakh.
Our assistance to Azerbaijan has a large naval and maritime
security component in order to help secure energy transit routes,
and to counter proliferation and drug trafficking on the Caspian
Sea. Military assistance to Armenia does not have a naval
component. The requested military assistance levels for Azerbaijan
recognize this fact.