ANCA says U.S. policy must adapt to survive…
Mr. YerimyanANCA In his testimony in the Senate, he mentions his policy priorities.
WASHINGTON — According to the testimony presented by the American Armenian National Committee for the hearings of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the region on November 16, the Caucasian policy of the United States should strengthen the security of Armenia and Artsakh against threats from Azerbaijan and Turkey.
testimony ofANCAPresented by Tereza Yerimyan, Director of Government Affairs, noted that: US policy toward Armenia must be aligned with the security and viability of Armenia and Artsakh in the face of existential regional threats, while US policy toward Azerbaijan must prioritize accountability for its past and present crimes. Our current, deeply flawed US policy in the Caucasus teaches democracy lessons to democratic Armenia, sends US taxpayer-funded military aid to dictatorial Azerbaijan, and provides no aid to besieged Artsakh. This must change. »
Full text of his statementANCAAddresses the following policy priorities, presented below and also available onlineANCA :
– Full implementation of Article 907 restrictions on US aid to Azerbaijan.
– US direct humanitarian aid to Artsakh is no less than 50 million dollars.
– Official investigations into arms export violations related to Turkish drones.
– Serious examination of the candidacy of the ambassadors of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
– US pressure on Turkey to stop obstruction of justice regarding the Armenian Genocide.
– Investigating the cases of war crimes committed by Azerbaijan, including the use of prohibited ammunition, the involvement of foreign mercenaries, cultural and religious insults, as well as the illegal detention, ill-treatment and killing of prisoners of war.
“ The oil-rich Aliyev regime must immediately end US military aid and be held accountable by launching an investigation into its invasions, atrocities and war crimes. Yerimyan says. “ These measures must be accompanied by a strong aid program to meet Artsakh’s urgent humanitarian and development needs. As for US-Armenia bilateral relations, we are working towards a paradigm shift in relations that prioritizes the security and viability of Armenia and Artsakh in the face of existential regional threats. »
The meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will be held on Wednesday, November 16 at 10:00. EST and will be broadcast live. The witnesses who will testify are Karen Donfried, the assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, and Philip Ricker, the senior advisor for the Caucasus negotiations of the US State Department. L’ANCA Armenian shared a series of probing questions with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to clarify the Biden administration’s policy on several concerns of Americans.
The text of the statementANCA is presented below.
Thank you, Mr. President Menendez and Mr. Senior Member Rish. We are grateful for this Committee’s strong leadership on constructive US engagement in the Caucasus and its continued support for the national security and democratic aspirations of the Armenian people.
Following Azerbaijan’s 2020 ethnic cleansing in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Baku’s continued occupation of sovereign Armenian territory, we call on the commission to pressure the Biden administration to abandon its reckless policy of false parity and publicly condemn Azerbaijan’s aggression.
The oil-rich Aliyev regime should immediately end US military aid and begin an investigation into its invasions, atrocities and war crimes. These measures must be accompanied by a strong aid program to meet Artsakh’s urgent humanitarian and development needs. Regarding bilateral relations between the United States and Armenia, we seek a paradigm shift in relations that prioritizes the security and viability of Armenia and Artsakh in the face of existential regional threats.
We respectfully submit the following policy recommendations to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the hope that they will help inform and guide the committee’s constructive discourse on US interests in the region.
First, we call on the commission to end US military assistance to Azerbaijan (including Section 333 (Capability Enhancement), foreign military funding, and international military education and training) through statutory bans, the President’s waiver authority. , and full implementation of Section 907 of the Act FREEDOM Support Act. In addition, the Departments of State and Defense must fulfill their legal reporting obligations, as recommended in the recent report of the General Accountability Office regarding the decisions of the Biden administration to waive this law despite Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and the occupation of Armenia. illegal detention and ill-treatment of Armenian prisoners of war, desecration of holy places of Armenian Christians.
We also urge the Committee to monitor the administration’s decision to withhold direct and much-needed US humanitarian assistance to Artsakh, where the endangered Armenian population faces ongoing aggression and chronic food insecurity, water, energy, health and food shortages. The US should never use Azerbaijan’s veto against US humanitarian aid to vulnerable Armenians in Artsakh. Congress is expected to allocate no less than 50 million dollars for programs in Artsakh.
Following the questions President Menendez asked during the July 21, 2021 Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, but not answered by Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, we want to clarify two key points: 1) Has the Administration conducted an investigation into this matter? The discovery of at least ten U.S. components in Turkish Bayraktar drones used by Azerbaijan to attack civilians in Artsakh, potentially violating U.S. restrictions on arms export controls and other U.S. and international laws, and ; 2) Has the administration investigated the information about Azerbaijan’s use of prohibited military munitions (white phosphorus, cluster bombs) and deployment of mercenaries recruited by Turkey against Artsakh in Syria? ?
With respect to cultural preservation and religious liberties, we invite the Committee to ask whether the Biden Administration has provided funding, access to satellite imagery, or any other assistance to academic groups, civil society, and other groups. Rich Armenian Christian heritage throughout Artsakh, including areas currently under the control of the Azerbaijani army ?
Following the U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, we ask this commission to determine how the claims of Congress and the White House have translated into Biden administration policy, and to focus on U.S. diplomatic efforts to end Ankara’s denials and obstruction of justice. crime
We encourage this committee to support key legislative initiatives, including S.Res.797, which condemns Azerbaijan’s aggression and calls for an end to US military aid to that country. Regarding the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2023, congressmen are expected to include 1) the Cardenas-Schiff-Sherman Amendment (as introduced in the Senate). HIM 6441) requiring an investigation of war crimes committed by Azerbaijan (American units on Turkish drones, foreign mercenaries, prohibited ammunition, mistreatment of prisoners of war) and 2) Pappas-Pallone amendment (Senate versions: HIM 5754 and HIM 6345) imposes restrictions on F-16 sales to Turkey.
As the committee reviews President Biden’s nominees for US ambassador to Armenia and Azerbaijan, we urge that the confirmation process be focused on strengthening the security of Armenia and Azerbaijan. US policy towards Armenia should be consistent with the security and viability of Armenia and Artsakh in the face of existential regional threats, while US policy towards Azerbaijan should prioritize responsibility for past and present crimes. Our current flawed US policy in the Caucasus teaches democracy lessons to democratic Armenia, sends US taxpayer-funded military aid to dictator Azerbaijan, and provides no aid to besieged Artsakh. This must change.
Thank you for your attention to our testimony. As always, we stand ready to support the work of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to strengthen the long-term and lasting friendship between the American and Armenian peoples.
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