Calling for an end to escalating violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, for each side to return to the peace process, and for external parties to cease their support for and interference in the conflict.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. RES. 1196 Calling for an end to escalating violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, for each side to return to the peace process, and for external parties to cease their support for and interference in the conflict. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OCTOBER 16, 2020 Mr. KEATING submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Calling for an end to escalating violence in the Nagorno- Karabakh enclave, for each side to return to the peace process, and for external parties to cease their support for and interference in the conflict. Whereas, on September 27, 2020, the most significant out- break of violence since the signing of the 1994 cease-fire agreement began across the line of contact in Nagorno- Karabakh between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces; Whereas military operations by each side have included the exchange of air strikes, rocket attacks, and artillery fire, resulting in the deaths of soldiers and civilians, the wounding of hundreds more, and causing needless suf- fering to families and communities in the conflict zone; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:51 Oct 16, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1196.IH HR1196 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 1196 IH Whereas both Armenia and Azerbaijan have declared martial law, mobilized their armed forces, and called up reserve forces, further escalating tensions; Whereas the conflict has the potential to escalate into proxy warfare among regional powers, including Turkey and Russia, which would further entrench the conflict, in- crease risk of civilian harm, and threaten long-term peace and stability in the region; Whereas Russia maintains close economic ties to both Arme- nia and Azerbaijan and provides weapons, other support, and military guarantees to Armenia, which is a member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organiza- tion (CSTO); Whereas the United States serves as a neutral co-chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, along with France and Russia, and the Presidents of the Co-Chair countries have urged the parties to return to a ceasefire and substantive nego- tiations as soon as possible; Whereas the United States remains committed to working with each side through the OSCE Minsk Group to settle the conflict peacefully and sustainably; Whereas both Azerbaijan and Armenia are North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Partnership for Peace countries, which made a commitment to increase sta- bility, diminish threats to peace, and build strengthened security relationships among NATO and non-member countries in the Euro-Atlantic area; and Whereas a long-standing conflict like the one between Arme- nia and Azerbaijan must be solved through a political VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:51 Oct 16, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1196.IH HR1196 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 1196 IH process rather than military aggression: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) expresses alarm at the escalating violence 2 that has resulted in the tragic loss of life in 3 Nagorno-Karabakh; 4 (2) calls on leaders in Armenia and Azerbaijan 5 to immediately de-escalate the situation, end hos- 6 tilities, utilize the Organization for Security and Co- 7 operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group process 8 instead of military means and return to the cease- 9 fire agreement along the line of contact between 10 Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, and protect the 11 human rights of those in the area in order to pre- 12 vent even further loss of life; 13 (3) calls on each country to renew its commit- 14 ment to the OSCE Minsk Group process and recog- 15 nize that dialogue, not violence, is the only way to 16 bring a comprehensive and enduring peace to the re- 17 gion; 18 (4) reaffirms United States support for OSCE 19 Minsk Group efforts to secure an agreement from 20 Armenia and Azerbaijan to cease offensive military 21 operations in Nagorno-Karabakh and to accept inde- 22 pendent third-party monitoring along the line of con- 23 tact; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:51 Oct 16, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1196.IH HR1196 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 1196 IH (5) calls on all external parties to refrain from 1 providing military and other support to either side, 2 which merely inflames hostilities and further jeop- 3 ardizes regional peace and stability, including the re- 4 cent destabilizing rhetoric of President Tayyip 5 Erdog˘an and the Turkish military. 6 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:51 Oct 16, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR1196.IH HR1196 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS