Kirk, Pallone Condemn Attacks by Azerbaijan

WASHINGTON—On June 24, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues and member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, released the following statement on the outbreak of violence on the border between Nagorno Karabagh Republic (NKR) and Azerbaijan:

“I condemn the unprovoked attacks by Azerbaijan’s armed forces on NKR troops and deeply regret the loss of life that occurred.

“I am concerned that such destabilizing actions by the Azeri side, combined with Azerbaijan’s military build-up and provocative statements by Azerbaijan’s leadership, gravely undermine the OSCE-led Minsk Process.

“This irresponsible behavior reiterates the need to restrict U.S. military funding for Azerbaijan, and for the Administration to consult with Congress before exercising the waiver authority granted under Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act.”

Condemnation by Pallone

On June 21, Congressman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, released the following statement condemning attacks by armed forces of Azerbaijan on soldiers of Karabagh.

“I condemn these attacks in the strongest terms. The attempt to penetrate the line of contact with Nagorno-Karabagh defenses was an unacceptable provocation and an attempt to precipitate further conflict.

“I also want to express my deepest condolences to the families of the four soldiers who lost their lives due to these attacks.  Their dedication to protecting a young but flourishing democracy exercising its right to self-determination is admirable.

“The fact that these attacks were unprovoked and came just hours after a meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan with Russian President Medvedev as part of ongoing efforts to bring the conflict to a final peace settlement, makes the attacks that much more egregious.  I continue to call on the U.S. government to reinstate Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and restrict all further military assistance to Azerbaijan.  We can not stand complacent as Azerbaijan makes good on their aggressive statements and engages in violent attacks.”

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