U.S. Nominee to Azerbaijan Condemns Violence Along the Line of Contact

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October 4, 2018

Contact: Danielle Saroyan

Telephone: (202) 393-3434

Web: www.aaainc.org

 

U.S. NOMINEE TO AZERBAIJAN
CONDEMNS VIOLENCE ALONG THE LINE OF CONTACT

 

U.S. Urges Azerbaijan to Work Cooperatively to Settle Conflict

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On October 4, during a Senate Foreign
Relations Committee hearing, in response to questions posed by Ranking Member
Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the U.S. Ambassadorial nominee to Azerbaijan, Earle D.
Litzenberger, stated that the U.S. condemns violence along the line of contact,
which he noted undermines the peace process and violates the 1994 cease-fire
agreement.

 

“As one of
the three Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group process that is working to achieve a
peaceful settlement to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, we are working along the
lines of three principles: one is the non-use of force and the non-threat of
the use of force, the second is the respect for territorial integrity, and the
third is the rights of peoples to self-determination. All three of those are
important, any agreement or settlement that does not fully take all three into
account is unlikely to succeed,” said Litzenberger. “All of the Co-Chairs, the
U.S. especially, condemns any violence and any threat of the use of violence
along the line of contact, it undermines the peace process, it violates the
1994 cease-fire, and is very unhelpful,” Litzenberger continued.

 

During the
Assembly’s National Advocacy Conference last week, Assembly Executive Director
Bryan Ardouny along with former Chairman of the Armenian Assembly of America
Board of Directors Peter Vosbikian and other New Jersey constituents met with
the Senator’s policy staff and discussed several issues, including Azerbaijan’s
ongoing cease-fire violations, especially the targeting of kindergartens.

 

“We
appreciate Ranking Member Menendez for raising key concerns about Azerbaijan’s
ongoing bellicose rhetoric and cease-fire violations,” stated the Assembly
Co-Chairs Anthony Barsamian and Van Krikorian. “We also remain deeply troubled
by Azerbaijan’s ongoing attempt to whitewash its human rights record through
its $3 billion laundromat scheme, which not only has been exposed, but led to
an indictment by the U.S. Department of Justice,” the Co-Chairs continued.

 

Earle D.
Litzenberger of California is a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,
Class of Minister-Counselor. Read his full statement before the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee.

 

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the
largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt membership organization.

 

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NR#: 2018-043

 

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Photo Caption 1: Senate
Foreign Relations Ranking Member Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

Photo Caption 2: U.S.
Ambassadorial Nominee to Azerbaijan Earle D. Litzenberger