Saturday, September 23 2023 19:29

ArmInfo. US Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr (D-NJ) has introduced bipartisan legislation with  Reps. David Valadao (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) to protect Armenians and provide humanitarian assistance to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in response to the brutal and unjust actions taken by the Government of Azerbaijan, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).

The Bill, "Supporting Armenians Against Azerbaijani Aggression Act of  2023," covers a spectrum of pertinent and swift actions that can be  taken by the Administration in the aftermath of Azerbaijan's illegal  and unprovoked attacks on the Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh,  from calling on Azerbaijan to open the Lachin Corridor to providing  humanitarian assistance to imposing sanctions to ceasing waivers of  Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, as well as appropriating  funding for future partnerships between the U.S. and Armenia.  "President Aliyev's genocidal campaign against the Armenian people of  Artsakh has gone on too long, and it is past time the United States  takes meaningful action to halt it. This legislation takes a major  first step in addressing the atrocities committed by his regime and  holding him and his cronies accountable for the death and destruction  they have wrought. It would also provide the Armenian people impacted  by the conflict with the assistance and security they need to live  safely in their ancient homelands without fear of reprisal from the  Azerbaijani government," stated Congressman Pallone.

The Assembly's Congressional Relations Director Mariam Khaloyan  stated: "Since he has taken a page out of Putin's playbook in  Ukraine, Aliyev too must be held accountable for his ongoing  targeting of civilians in Artsakh. We urge the Administration to  sanction Azerbaijan for its genocidal actions." The Bill further  calls for $30 million to "provide humanitarian assistance to groups  in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh impacted by the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh  War, Azerbaijan's September 2022 attack on Armenia, and Azerbaijan's  blockade of the Lachin Corridor."

The Bill also contains language to provide $10 million in Foreign  Military Financing assistance to Armenia to "support Armenia's  independence, joint training and exercises with the U.S., and train  Armenian forces for future international peacekeeping operations."  Imposing sanctions on Azerbaijan regarding the Aliyev regime's clear  attempts at ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh is also specified,  as well as the government's "operations that instigated the 2020  Nagorno-Karabakh War; attacks on Armenia in September 2022; the  blockade of the Lachin Corridor beginning in December 2022; attacks  on Nagorno- Karabakh in September 2023." Finally, the Bill highlights  the importance of protecting the rights of the Armenian people in  Nagorno-Karabakh and requests that the Secretary of State "shall  submit to the appropriate congressional committees a detailed  strategy to ensure the durable security for the people of  Nagorno-Karabakh" that incorporates the "rights and security of the  people of Nagorno-Karabakh" as well as the "establishment of  accountability measures to ensure the rights and security of the  population of Nagorno-Karabakh in the event that the governments of  Armenia and Azerbaijan reach a peace agreement" as well as "support  for the protection of Armenian cultural heritage sites in  Nagorno-Karabakh."