Frank Pallone: “I rise this evening to share with my colleagues and the American people some new ideas on how we can work to promote…”

“I rise this evening to share with my colleagues and the American people some new ideas on how we can work to promote greater cooperation and stability in the Caucasus region of the former Soviet Union, and specifically how we can jump-start the peace process in Nagorno Karabagh. During the Memorial Day recess, the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy) and I had the opportunity to travel to the Republics of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh to meet with government officials from both countries as well as with U.S. officials in the region. As I have mentioned in the House on several occasions, the people of Nagorno Karabagh fought and won a war of independence against Azerbaijan. A tenuous cease-fire has been in place since 1994, but a more lasting settlement has been elusive. The U.S. has been involved in a major way in the negotiations intended to produce a just and lasting peace. Our country is a cochair, along with France and Russia, of the international negotiating group, commonly known as the Minsk Group, formed to seek a solution to the Nagorno Karabagh conflict.”