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“IN SUPPORT OF MAINTAINING NEUTRALITY WITH REGARD TO THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1420 on July 17, 2006.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN SUPPORT OF MAINTAINING NEUTRALITY WITH REGARD TO THE PEACE
NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA
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HON. DAN BURTON
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Monday, July 17, 2006
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, in the weeks leading up to the G-
8 summit, there was some speculation that the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia might be invited to attend the summit as an incentive to help spur further progress on peace negotiations between the two countries over the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Unfortunately, it appears that that did not happen; and I am deeply disappointed that the world has missed the opportunity this summit offered to help promote peace in a region which has been in conflict for far too long.
Although, in my opinion, a good opportunity to advance peace has been lost, I have not lost hope that, together with other nations, we can help Azerbaijan and Armenia achieve peace, and settle once and for all the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, which I believe has significantly stunted the development of both nations as well as the broader region.
In 1992, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe--CSCE--
now the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe--OSCE--
created the Minsk Group, a coalition of member states dedicated to facilitating a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The co-chairs of the Minsk Group--Russia, France, and the United States--have served as mediators, trying to work in close and effective cooperation with all parties towards a fair and effective settlement of the issues.
I believe though that our success and credibility as a mediator stems from the policy of never appearing to favor one nation's claims over the other. I believe that even the modest steps towards peace which we have witnessed, are a direct result of this neutrality. According to the United States State Department's 2005 Fact Sheet: ``The United States does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent country, and its leadership is not recognized internationally or by the United States. The United States supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and holds that the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh is a matter of negotiation between the parties.'' This has been the policy of the United States towards this issue through both the Clinton and Bush administrations, and it is important in my opinion that it remains the same. Any outside influence, any shift in neutrality can only result in a false peace. That is why I am deeply concerned when I hear some of my colleagues throwing barbs at the Azeris and attempting to lay all the blame for this complicated issue at their doorstep.
For example, one of my colleagues once said, ``I have long supported the right of self-determination for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and greatly admire the efforts of the people of this historically Armenian region to build democracy and a market economy in the face of hostility from Azerbaijan.'' So far as I know, the Nagorno-Karabakh region has never been a part of Armenia. To suggest otherwise, and to suggest that the problems in Nagorno-Karabakh are caused solely by Azerbaijan seem to me to distort the facts and potentially undermine our good faith efforts to see this conflict resolved; and to see peace and prosperity come to the people of both Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Mr. Speaker, I would encourage all of my colleagues to both maintain our neutrality in policy, and to also realize that choosing one side over the other at this point in time is a setback to peace, especially when the side they appear to be choosing may be distorting the facts for its own benefit.
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