#Azerbaijan

NEWS

Sep 8, 2017
2 min

Senate Appropriations Committee Ensures Continued Funding to Artsakh

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-MS), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Senate Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Chairman Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Appropriations Committee adopted the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations bill, which ensures continued funding to Na

May 4, 2017
2 min

Armenian Assembly Website Hacked by Azerbaijan

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a flagrant effort to undermine the work of the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly), a group of computer hackers, calling themselves “TheConficker,” attacked the Assembly’s site and replaced it with Azeri propaganda. They are linked to an Azerbaijan hacker group known as “Anti-Armenia Team.” The Assembly took prompt action and reclaimed control of its website. Shortly after the cyber attack by Azeri nationals, Assembly Executive Director sent a letter

Mar 30, 2017
1 min

Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

(OSCE) – The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France and Richard Hoagland of the United States of America), together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, traveled to Baku (March 11), Yerevan (March 27) and Nagorno-Karabakh (March 28). The main purpose of the Co-Chairs’ visits to the region was to receive the most current detailed political and mi

Mar 15, 2017
2 min

Armenian Assembly Urges Investigation of Azerbaijan’s Ties & Compromising Material on U.S. Officials

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier this week, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) sent letters to the Senate and House Select Committees on Intelligence expressing concern regarding the undue influence of Azerbaijan on America’s democratic institutions. In their letter to the Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC), Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), House Intelligence Chairman David Nunes (R-CA), and Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA), Assembly Co-Chairs Anthony Barsa

Mar 2, 2017
3 min

Rep. Schiff Commemorates 29th Anniversary of Sumgait Pogrom

Armenian Caucus Vic-Chair Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) released a statement commemorating the Sumgait Pogrom. This year marks the 29th anniversary of the massacres of Armenians that took place on Feb. 27-29, 1988. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 29th anniversary of the pogrom against the Armenian residents of the town of Sumgait, Azerbaijan. 29 years ago Azerbaijani mobs assaulted and killed their Armenian neighbors. When the violence finally subsided, hundreds of Armenian

Mar 2, 2017
2 min

Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr.’s Remarks in Recognition of the Victims of the Sumgait Pograms

On March 1, 2017, Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. honored the victims of the Sumgait pogroms and condemned Azerbaijan’s attacks. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the Sumgait pogroms, one of the most horrific attacks against the Armenian people, committed at the hands of Azerbaijanis 29 years ago. On February 27, 1988, hundreds of Armenian civilians living in the city of Sumgait in Azerbaijan were indiscriminately killed, raped, maimed, and even burned

Jan 27, 2017
2 min

Secretary of State Nominee Rex Tillerson Supports Peaceful Resolution in Artsakh

Armenian Assembly Commends Senator Markey Secretary of State Nominee Rex Tillerson and Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) WASHINGTON, D.C. – As previously reported by the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly), the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved President Donald Trump’s Secretary of State nomination of Rex Tillerson, and is currently awaiting approval by the full Senate. Senator Edward Markey (D-MA), a strong supporter of U.S.-Armenia relations, asked the Secretary of

Jan 11, 2017
3 min

Armenian Assembly Highlights Policy Issues for Secretary of State Nomination

Urges Strengthening Permanent Bonds Between Armenia and the United States WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the Senate Foreign Relations Committee meets today to consider President-Elect Donald Trump’s Secretary of State Nominee Mr. Rex Tillerson, former ExxonMobil CEO, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) highlighted key policy issues in a letter sent to Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) and Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-MD). “We need a Secretary of State committed to strengthening the p

Dec 29, 2016
1 min

Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny Responds to Biased Article

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) Executive Director Bryan Ardouny responded to a biased article posted in The Hill earlier this month. Ardouny wrote: “Christina Gathman’s ‘Armenia’s Russia problem’ in The Hill’s Congress Blog published on Dec. 13, 2016 goes to some length to catalogue the extent of Russian investments in Armenia and raises the question whether the degree of economic cooperation between the two countries affects its foreig

Dec 29, 2016
1 min

Foreign Ministry of Armenia Condemns Azerbaijan’s Diversionary Attacks

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia released the following statement on December 29, 2016: We condemn in the strongest terms today’s diversionary incursion attempt by Azerbaijan on the state border with Armenia, which resulted in human loses. We express our deepest condolences to the relatives and fellow servicemen of the fallen soldiers. While the most serious damage caused to the settlement process in the result of the Azerbaijani aggression against Artsa

Dec 19, 2016
1 min

Human Rights for Sale: Europe Selling and Azerbaijan Buying

(European Stability Initiative Report) – Can basic international norms be undermined by corruption? Can international politics be fundamentally reshaped by the personal greed of politicians? These are among the most important questions in global politics today. When it comes to the Council of Europe, guardian of the European Convention of Human Rights and, since its creation in 1949, the leading intergovernmental human rights institution in the world, the answer to both quest

Nov 11, 2016
2 min

Armenian Assembly Renews Call to Withdraw from Turkish and Azeri Caucuses

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Congress returns next week to complete its legislative business for 2016, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) renews its call for Members to withdraw from the Turkish and Azeri caucuses in light of the increasingly authoritarian regimes there and pattern of behavior, including Azerbaijan’s attacks against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh earlier this year. The Azeri initiated military offensive which was supported by the Turkish military took the liv

Oct 21, 2016
2 min

Wikileaks Reveal Azerbaijan Influencing American Electoral Politics

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As concerns are raised of Russia attempting to influence the U.S. presidential election by hacking campaign emails, one purloined record also reveal another country, namely Azerbaijan, doing the same. After reviewing emails on WikiLeaks, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) discovered correspondence among campaign staffers discussing the legality of accepting donations from foreign governments, such as Azerbaijan, by Foreign Agents Registration Act (

Sep 28, 2016
2 min

Smith: Azerbaijan Referendum Lacks Legitimacy

United States Commission on Security & Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), September 27, 2016 Following today’s announcement of the results of the constitutional referendum in Azerbaijan, in which the government reported 91 percent approval of sweeping constitutional changes, including extending the presidential term and increasing the president’s powers, Helsinki Commission Chair Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) issued the following statement: “It is clear that the package of constitutiona

Sep 28, 2016
4 min

Azerbaijan’s Constitutional Referendum Creates Crisis of Legitimacy

United States Commission on Security & Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) September 15, 2016 Chairman Smith, Others Highlight Human Rights Issues in Letter to Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a recent letter to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) expressed deep concern about the country’s September 26 constitutional referendum, which proposes changes that would undermine Azerbaijan’s international obligations

Sep 12, 2016
1 min

OSCE Co-Chairs Hope for Sargsyan-Aliyev Meeting in New York

By Siranush Ghazanchyan (Public Radio of Armenia) – There are conditions for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, but what we lack is the political will of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick said in an interview with Interfax. He said the Karabakh settlement is the “sphere where the United States, Russia, and France have complete understanding.” The diplomat said “the ceasefire has been more or less maintained after

Aug 3, 2016
2 min

Minsk Group Looking for Opportunity to Organize Another Sargsyan-Aliyev Meeting

(Arka News Agency) – The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are looking for an opportunity to organize another meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick told Russian RIA Novosti news agency. Warlick said also that the peaceful resolution of the standoff in Yerevan between police and an armed group has caused a sense of relief, adding that the standoff and public debates on it only conf

Jul 25, 2016
1 min

U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services Visits Armenia-Azerbaijan Border

(Mediamax) – The U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services staff visited the 3rd Army Corps of Armenian Defense Ministry on July 21. Members of the delegation had a meeting with Armenian First Deputy Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan and the command staff of the Corps. The meeting included a presentation of the current situation at the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the frequency of ceasefire violations made by the Azerbaijani side, and its consequences. In Tavush

Jun 21, 2016
2 min

Armenia, Azerbaijan Presidents Held Second Meeting on Nagorno Karabakh

(L-R): Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. On June 20, Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin, to discuss peace negotiations for the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. This is the second time Sargsyan and Aliyev have spoken together following the Nagorno Karabakh four-day war in early April. Their first meeting was on May 16 with rep

May 26, 2016
2 min

Helsinki Commission Leaders Welcome Release of Khadija Ismayilova

Following yesterday’s announcement that the Azerbaijani government has freed investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova from prison, Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Co-Chairman of the Commission, issued the following statement: “We welcome the release of Khadija Ismayilova from her unjust imprisonment. However, we call on the Government of Azerbaijan to drop all charges agai