85 Members of Congress Sign Royce-Engel Letter to Ambassador Warlick

Congressional Leaders Urge Renewed U.S. Leadership in Karabakh Peace Talks

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday evening, 85 Members of Congress joined in sending a letter to Ambassador James Warlick, U.S. Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group which is tasked with finding a resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The letter, spearheaded by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), urges Ambassador Warlick to “publicly condemn specific acts of aggression along the line of contact. The long-standing U.S. and OSCE practice of responding to each new attack with generic calls upon all parties to refrain from violence has failed to de-escalate the situation. Instead, this policy of artificial even-handedness has dangerously increased tensions. There will be no peace absent responsibility,” the letter states.

(L-R): House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) with Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.

The letter campaign began after Azerbaijan mortar fire on September 24th killed 3 Armenian women aged up to 94. Subsequent Azerbaijan military advances over the coming days resulted in several dead in Armenia and along the line of contact between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan. In fact, within 24 hours of the letter’s issuance, OSCE monitors came under repeated gunfire ascribed to Azerbaijan. “During our Line of Contact crossing, repeated gunfire forced OSCE monitors to take cover. This is unacceptable,” Ambassador Warlick, tweeted today.

“Violence along the line of contact in Nagorno Karabakh has increased dramatically, and the Administration policy of non-attribution when condemning violations isn’t working. It must change,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce said in a statement released to the Armenian Assembly of America. “In our letter, we propose a few common sense steps for the U.S. and the Minsk Group to take to deter further violence. Specifically, the call for all parties to withdraw snipers, and the proposal to deploy OSCE monitors and equip them with gunfire locator systems, provides tools to increase transparency and accountability for each and every cross-boundary violation. Ambassador Warlick should support these proposals, and press for their adoption by other Minsk Group partners,” Chairman Royce said.

The legislators propose three concrete steps that would, “in the short-term, save lives and help to avert war. Over the longer term,” the letter says, “these steps could contribute to a comprehensive and enduring peace for all the citizens of the region.”

In particular, the letter calls for (1) an agreement from all sides not to deploy snipers along the line of contact; (2) the placement of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact; and (3) the deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact to better monitor cease-fire violations.

(L-R): Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) with Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.

“As Co-Chair of the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus, I am proud to join my colleagues in sending this bipartisan letter to address the growing number of cease-fire violations and condemn specific acts of aggression,” stated Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ). “The steps highlighted in this letter are common sense measures to address the increasing violence and the use of heavy weapons along the border. I am deeply concerned about the escalation of tensions along the contact line, and I will continue to urge my colleagues to support a viable and peaceful resolution in Nagorno-Karabakh,” Pallone said.

In addition to the House Foreign Affairs Committee leadership, the letter garnered the support of House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA), U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY), House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Joseph Crowley (D-NY), and former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman Steve Israel (D-NY).

“The Obama administration’s weak policy of even-handedness will not help end the fighting around Nagorno-Karabakh,” House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) said in a statement released to the Armenian Assembly. “Aggressors must be called to account, and Azerbaijan needs to approve the de-escalation measures supported by the Armenian side,” Chairman Nunes said.  

“We commend Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their leadership on this critically important issue. This bipartisan letter demonstrates that Azerbaijan must account for its flagrant cease-fire violations,” stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “This strong show of support from lawmakers makes clear that the escalation of violence and loss of life is unacceptable. We look forward to working with our friends in Congress to ensure a more balanced approach to resolving regional issues,” Ardouny said.

LETTER TO AMBASSADOR WARLICK:

The Honorable James Warlick

U.S. Co-Chair

OSCE Minsk Group

Dear Ambassador Warlick:

We are writing out of concern over the escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in deaths on both sides of the conflict. It is our hope that the United States, through its role in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk Group, as well as through direct diplomacy with both Armenia and Azerbaijan, will immediately advocate for several steps to promote peace in the region.

We believe that securing the full and public support of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Nagorno-Karabakh for the following steps would, in the short-term, save lives and help to avert war. Over the longer term, these steps could contribute to a comprehensive and enduring peace for all the citizens of the region.

1. An agreement from all sides not to deploy snipers along the line of contact.

2. The placement of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact.

3. The deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact to better monitor cease-fire violations.

We also urge you to publicly condemn specific acts of aggression along the line of contact. The long-standing U.S. and OSCE practice of responding to each new attack with generic calls upon all parties to refrain from violence has failed to de-escalate the situation. Instead, this policy of artificial even-handedness has dangerously increased tensions. There will be no peace absent responsibility.

Thank you for your consideration of these recommendations. We continue to support your efforts to reach a durable and just resolution to this conflict and look forward to your response.

Ed Royce (R-CA); Eliot Engel (D-NY); Karen Bass (D-CA); Donald Beyer, Jr. (D-VA); Gus Bilirakis (R-FL); Mike Bishop (R-MI); Earl Blumenauer (D-OR); Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU); Dave Brat (R-VA); Tony Cأ،rdenas (D-CA); Judy Chu (D-CA); David Cicilline (D-RI); Katherine Clark (D-MA); Yvette Clarke (D-NY); Mike Coffman (R-CO); Jim Costa (D-CA); Joseph Crowley (D-NY); Suzan DelBene (D-WA); Jeff Denham (R-CA); Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA); Ted Deutch (D-FL); Robert Dold (R-IL); Daniel Donovan, Jr. (R-NY); Anna Eshoo (D-CA); Sam Farr (D-CA); Lois Frankel (D-FL); Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ); Scott Garrett (R-NJ); Janice Hahn (D-CA); Richard Hanna (R-NY); Joe Heck (R-NV); Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC); Michael Honda (D-CA); Steve Israel (D-NY); Joseph Kennedy (D-MA); Steve Knight (R-CA); Leonard Lance (R-NJ); Jim Langevin (D-RI); Brenda Lawrence (D-MI); Barbara Lee (D-CA); Sandy Levin (D-MI); Ted Lieu (D-CA); Dan Lipinski (D-IL); Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ); Zoe Lofgren (D-CA); Alan Lowenthal (D-CA); Nita Lowey (D-NY); Stephen Lynch (D-MA); Carolyn Maloney (D-NY); Patrick Maloney (D-NY); Doris Matsui (D-CA); Betty McCollum (D-MN); Jim McDermott (D-WA); James McGovern (D-MA); Grace Meng (D-NY); Seth Moulton (D-MA); Grace Napolitano (D-CA); Devin Nunes (R-CA); Frank Pallone (D-NJ); Chellie Pingree (D-ME); Mike Quigley (D-IL); Charles Rangel (D-NY); Kathleen Rice (D-NY); Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA); Peter Roskam (R-IL); Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA); Linda Sanchez (D-CA); Loretta Sanchez (D-CA); John Sarbanes (D-MD); Jan Schakowsky (D-IL); Adam Schiff (D-CA); Kurt Schrader (D-OR); Brad Sherman (D-CA); Albio Sires (D-NJ); Adam Smith (D-WA); Chris Smith (R-NJ); Jackie Speier (D-CA); Dina Titus (D-NV); Paul Tonko (D-NY); Dave Trott (R-MI); Niki Tsongas (D-MA); David Valadao (R-CA); Chris Van Hollen (D-MD); Tim Walberg (R-MI); and Peter Welch (D-VT).