Chairman Ed Royce Announces Congressional Karabakh Briefing to Address Escalating Aggression

A Capitol Hill celebration of Nagorno Karabakh's commitment to peace - capping a two day Armenian National Committe of America (ANCA) pro-Artsakh advocacy campaign - featured a public call by Representative Ed Royce, Chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, for a special briefing with the U.S. Ambassador James Warlick - the State Department official responsible for the Nagorno Karabakh peace talks, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The special briefing comes as a follow up to the October 26th Congressional letter addressed to Ambassador Warlick, initiated by Chairman Royce and Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY) and cosigned by over 80 House colleagues, outlining three concrete steps to address escalating Karabakh violence, including the removal of snipers from the border, an increase in OSCE monitors and deployment of a gunfire direction finders.

Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have both expressed support for these life-saving initiatives; Azerbaijan has not.

"Why are the snipers not pulled back? [...] Why have we not deployed those special [gun fire] direction finders?" asked Chairman Royce, citing reports of unprecedented Azerbaijani tank fired shelling and high-powered rifle fire, which claimed the life of 24-year-old Garik Gurgen Avanesyan.

Chairman Royce concluded his remarks, noting "I retain hope that one day the people of Nagorno Karabakh will be able to live in peace, enjoying security and a flourishing trade with its neighbors in the region, and I give thanks to those of you here who are committed to that peace and who are committed to stay engaged to see that that happens."

[randypotter]

Thank you, Rep. Royce! We need more people in Congress like you.

[gregoryking]

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