Threats Made By Azerbaijan Against Armenia

THREATS MADE BY AZERBAIJAN AGAINST ARMENIA -- (House of Representatives - September 28, 2004)

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring attention to recent statements made by high-ranking government officials in Azerbaijan that threaten the security of Armenia as well as the 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 Minister 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, "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 cannot 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 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, which is continuing its efforts to undermine the prospects for peace in the Caucasus region.

Azerbaijan's threats again 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 towards 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-Karabagh conflict.

Just last week, the Republic of Armenia celebrated Independence Day marking 13 years of freedom from Soviet rule. We have seen considerable economic growth in the country. Despite the continuing 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 cannot stress enough the crucial role that the U.S. plays in the negotiations over Nagorno-Karabagh to help the people of this region find a lasting and equitable peace. 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 Azerbaijan 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 by the Azerbaijani government, and that we here in this Chamber do everything we can to ensure that all parties involved in this conflict make a genuine commitment towards peace and stability in the region.