Hostilities Between Azerbaijan and Armenia

Floor Speech

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Mr. ZINKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my deepest concern over the recent surge in hostilities along the Line of Contact between Armenia and Azerbaijan which needlessly claimed dozens of lives on both sides.

These skirmishes come just days after a successful visit by Azerbaijani President Aliyev with Vice President Biden and Secretary Kerry. Azerbaijan has been a staunch ally to the United States. It is critical to regional stability and global security that the recent hostilities are deescalated.

It is no secret that Russia does not support the Southern Gas Corridor Project. This pipeline has been championed by Azerbaijan and would provide critical energy security for America's friends and allies in Europe. Accordingly this latest upsurge in fighting is another sign of Moscow's meddling in the affairs of states along its borders. As we have seen in Eastern Ukraine and Georgia, Russia continues to exploit separatist movements along its periphery to pressure our friends and allies in the region. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Armenia, Russia's key regional ally, has been used as a proxy to intimidate our partners, including Azerbaijan and Georgia.

These latest hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia remind us of the urgency to find a peaceful solution to the protracted conflict. I urge the Administration to step up its efforts towards a peaceful solution and work with both sides to stabilize the region. Meanwhile, in the face of increasing Russian interference and aggression against its neighbors, the United States must remain steadfast in its support of friends like Azerbaijan.

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