85 Members of US Congress call for peace in Karabakh (video)
The Unites States continues efforts towards establishing peace in Nagorno Karabakh. Senior Members of the U.S. House Armed Services, Appropriations and Intelligence committees joined Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY) and over 85 of their colleagues in calling upon the Obama Administration to support the implementation of concrete, pro-peace measures to de-escalate aggression along the borders between Armenia, Artsakh, and Azerbaijan, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Chairman Ed Royce, one of the co-authors of the letter, told Voice of America that the letter is aimed at saving lives and to establish a just and lasting peace in the conflict area. The congressmen who joined the letter specifically call for all parties to withdraw snipers, and support the proposal to deploy OSCE monitors and equips them with gunfire locator systems, provides tools to increase transparency and accountability for each and every cross-boundary violation. ANCA Communications Director Elizabeth Chouljian said there is a general agreement between the Armenian side and the mediators on the content of the letter. “The only side that opposes concrete measure is the government of Azerbaijan,” she said. Earlier responding to the congressmen’s demand, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov cited the presence of Armenian troops as the main reason for border incidents. “If you look at the names of the figures, who signed the letter, you will see that they are all serious and influential Congressmen,” said Bryan Ardouny, Executive Director of the Armenian Assembly of America. Joining House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel in signing the letter are Vice-Chair of the Democratic Caucus Joe Crowley (D-NY); Democratic Caucus Chair of Policy and Communications Steve Israel (D-NY); Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA); Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee Adam Smith (D-WA), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA); Chairman and Ranking Members of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets Scott Garrett (R-NJ) and many others. Thanking the congressmen for the support, Elizabeth Chouljian also stressed the role of the Armenian community in the United States.
