Armenian MPs Urge US Partners to Pressure Azerbaijan

Members of the Armenia-US Friendship Group of the National Assembly continue their series of meetings in Washington with representatives of both state institutions and reputable think tanks. In particular, the group leader, Hayk Konjoryan, head of the Civil Contract parliamentary group, along with the chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, Sargis Khandanian, Civil Contract parliamentary group members Vahagn Aleksanyan, Hripsime Grigoryan, and Armenia parliamentary group member Irina Gasparyan, as well as Armenia's Ambassador to the US, Lilith Makunts, met with US Senator Chris Van Hollen.

During their visit, the delegation members met with Dame Wilson, president of the National Endowment for Democracy, Andrew Moffat, executive director of Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution, William Taylor, vice president of the Europe and Russia Center at the US Institute of Peace, and Paul Salem, president of the Middle East Institute operating in Washington.

During the meetings, the Armenian delegation presented that on May 11, Azerbaijan's Armed Forces violated the ceasefire regime by firing artillery and mortar shells towards Armenian positions located in the direction of Sotk. Armenian MPs called on their US partners to exert pressure on Azerbaijan and prevent further escalation.

They also highlighted the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor and the establishment of a checkpoint by Azerbaijan. The ongoing peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan was discussed, along with the details of the process aimed at normalizing relations between Armenia and Turkey. The parliamentary delegation members presented the progress of democratic reforms underway in Armenia to their US partners. Both sides reaffirmed the high level of the strategic dialogue between the Republic of Armenia and the United States.