Congressional Armenian Caucus leaders – Rep. Frank Pallone, Gus Bilirakis, Jackie Speier, David G. Valadao and Adam Schiff – have congratulated the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) on 31st Independence Day.
“We write to congratulate you and the people of the Republic of Artsakh on your 31st Independence Day. The United States Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues offers our support and stands with your people as you face the ongoing challenges and threats posed by Azerbaijan with incredible resilience,” the lawmakers said in a letter to Artsakh’s President Arayik Harutyunyan.
“We are pushing the United States government to take every available diplomatic action possible to penalize the Azerbaijani and Turkish regimes for their attacks in 2020 and their deadly actions that continue to this day. We are strongly urging the Biden Administration to commit meaningful aid to the displaced families from Artsakh currently in Armenia and to those who bravely remain in your country after these deadly attacks,” they said.
The members of Congress noted that “this conflict demonstrates the dire need for international actors to pressure President Aliyev into halting his blatant human rights violations and return in good faith to negotiations. In addition, we recognize the importance of having the people of Artsakh directly participate in negotiations regarding the country’s territorial integrity, its international status, and its ability to secure a durable and lasting peace.”
“We remain committed to advocating for official engagement between the United States government and your administration, and we look forward to working with you to build on Artsakh’s transformation. Again, please accept our sincerest congratulations on this important occasion and we offer our full support to your country,” Frank Pallone, Gus Bilirakis, Jackie Speier, David Valadao and Adam Schiff said.