U.S. Congressman: Armenia-Azerbaijan Agreement Must Include Security Guarantees for Armenia

U.S. Congressman Frank Pallone has welcomed the United States' increased involvement in efforts to bring Azerbaijan and Armenia closer together. This statement was made by Pallone on social media platform X, commenting on the meeting in Washington between Prime Minister Pashinyan, former President Trump, and President Aliyev.

"I am encouraged to see the United States' more direct engagement in efforts to bring Azerbaijan and Armenia closer together. While the existence of a transport corridor through southern Armenia poses challenges, I hope that U.S. direct involvement will lead to a fair and lasting peace agreement and the lifting of Azerbaijan and Turkey’s economic blockade against Armenia. Any final agreement must also include robust enforcement mechanisms and security guarantees for Armenia, to ensure that Azerbaijan does not violate the terms of the agreement," wrote the Congressman.

However, Pallone pointed out that the repeal of Article 907 of the Freedom Support Act by the U.S. is a mistake, as there is no justification for providing military aid to Azerbaijan. "Moreover, more must be done to pressure Azerbaijani President Aliyev to release the prisoners of war and political prisoners he continues to hold in Baku, as well as to withdraw his troops from Armenian territory. The United States has a moral obligation to ensure the safe, dignified, and sustainable return of displaced Armenians to their ancestral homeland of Nagorno-Karabakh," concluded Frank Pallone.