Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: anca@anca.org
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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ANCA THANKS U.S. LEGISLATORS FOR URGING PRESIDENT BUSH TO CONDEMN
AZERBAIJANI WAR RHETORIC; DEMOLITION OF ANCIENT ARMENIAN CEMETERY

— Reps. Knollenberg, Pallone, Radanovich and Schiff Registered
Concerns on Eve of Bush-Aliyev Meeting

WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
has expressed its appreciation to four leading legislators –
Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe
Knollenberg (R-MI) and Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA) and
Adam Schiff (D-CA) – for urging President Bush to personally
encourage Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to stop his
government’s threats against Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.

The two leaders met at the White House last week in a meeting,
which was reported to have covered, among other items, energy
security issues, Iran’s nuclear program, and democratic reform in
Azerbaijan. It was not immediately clear, based on media accounts,
if President Bush addressed the issues raised in the Congressional
letter.

In their letter, the four legislators voiced their concern that,
“in the years since the 1994 cease-fire agreement in the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani government officials have
consistently threatened war and fostered anti-Armenian intolerance.
Ignoring international criticism, President Aliyev has repeatedly
declared that Azerbaijan could launch a new military offensive
against Karabakh, and that he is waging a ‘cold war’ against
Armenia where the ongoing negotiations are only a way to achieve
unilateral Armenian concessions.” Furthermore, the letter
condemned Azerbaijan’s demolition of an over 1,000-year-old
Armenian cemetery in Djulfa, Nakhichevan, noting that “[k]nowingly
expunging traces of Armenian presence also raises serious questions
about Azerbaijan’s commitment to engage in the peace process.” The
legislators credit the Administration for its assurances that “U.S.
opposition to such tactics has been officially conveyed. However,
the United States will be unable to advance its policy objectives
and the OSCE Minsk process will achieve nothing if Azerbaijan is
allowed to risk war with impunity. These counterproductive
strategies are undermining the stability of the South Caucasus
region.”

The full text of the Congressional letter is provided below.

#####

Congress of the United States
Washington, DC 20515

April 27, 2006

The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

It is our understanding that you will be meeting with President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev later this week. We urge you to take this
opportunity to condemn the Azerbaijani war rhetoric and other
actions taken against the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh
which undermine U.S. objectives in the region.

In the years since the 1994 cease-fire agreement in the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani government officials have
consistently threatened war and fostered anti-Armenian intolerance.
Ignoring international criticism, President Aliyev has repeatedly
declared that Azerbaijan could launch a new military offensive
against Karabakh, and that he is waging a “cold war” against
Armenia where the ongoing negotiations are only a way to achieve
unilateral Armenian concessions.

As part of this campaign, this year Azerbaijan has increased its
military spending by 100% over the previous year to more than $600
million. It has also tightened the seventeen year economic
blockade against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Moreover, President
Aliyev has indicated he would not engage in any confidence-building
measures with Armenia and he had “no desire” to tone down his
country’s war-mongering and anti-Armenian propaganda.

Under the backdrop of the peace talks last December, eyewitnesses
captured on film Azerbaijani soldiers destroying historical
Armenian monuments in the medieval cemetery of Julfa, Nakhichevan
of Azerbaijani Republic. Condemned by the European Parliament,
this incident is not isolated. A Scottish expert on Armenian
architecture, who traveled though Nakhichevan in the summer of
2005, found that a number of Armenian monuments that were intact as
late as the 1980’s were razed to the ground. Knowingly expunging
traces of Armenian presence also raises serious questions about
Azerbaijan’s commitment to engage in the peace process.

We acknowledge and appreciate the assurances of the Administration
that U.S. opposition to such tactics has been officially conveyed.
However, the United States will be unable to advance its policy
objectives and the OSCE Minsk process will achieve nothing if
Azerbaijan is allowed to risk war with impunity. These
counterproductive strategies are undermining the stability of the
South Caucasus region.

We urge you to condemn these actions and call upon President Aliyev
and Azerbaijan to desist from making any further threats against
its Christian neighbors Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

We look forward to working with you on this issue and look forward
to your response.

Sincerely,

JOE KNOLLENBERG
Member of Congress

GEORGE RADONOVICH
Member of Congress

FRANK PALLONE, JR
Member of Congress

ADAM SCHIFF
Member of Congress