IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1196 

Calling for an end to escalating violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, 

for each side to return to the peace process, and for external parties 

to cease their support for and interference in the conflict. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 16, 2020 

Mr. KEATING submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Calling for an end to escalating violence in the NagornoKarabakh enclave, for each side to return to the peace 

process, and for external parties to cease their support 

for and interference in the conflict. 

Whereas, on September 27, 2020, the most significant outbreak of violence since the signing of the 1994 cease-fire 

agreement began across the line of contact in NagornoKarabakh between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces; 

Whereas military operations by each side have included the 

exchange of air strikes, rocket attacks, and artillery fire, 

resulting in the deaths of soldiers and civilians, the 

wounding of hundreds more, and causing needless suffering to families and communities in the conflict zone; 


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•HRES 1196 IH 

Whereas both Armenia and Azerbaijan have declared martial 

law, mobilized their armed forces, and called up reserve 

forces, further escalating tensions; 

Whereas the conflict has the potential to escalate into proxy 

warfare among regional powers, including Turkey and 

Russia, which would further entrench the conflict, increase risk of civilian harm, and threaten long-term peace 

and stability in the region; 

Whereas Russia maintains close economic ties to both Armenia and Azerbaijan and provides weapons, other support, 

and military guarantees to Armenia, which is a member 

of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO); 

Whereas the United States serves as a neutral co-chair of the 

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 

(OSCE) Minsk Group, along with France and Russia, 

and the Presidents of the Co-Chair countries have urged 

the parties to return to a ceasefire and substantive negotiations as soon as possible; 

Whereas the United States remains committed to working 

with each side through the OSCE Minsk Group to settle 

the conflict peacefully and sustainably; 

Whereas both Azerbaijan and Armenia are North Atlantic 

Treaty Organization (NATO) Partnership for Peace 

countries, which made a commitment to increase stability, diminish threats to peace, and build strengthened 

security relationships among NATO and non-member 

countries in the Euro-Atlantic area; and 

Whereas a long-standing conflict like the one between Armenia and Azerbaijan must be solved through a political 


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•HRES 1196 IH 

process rather than military aggression: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) expresses alarm at the escalating violence 

3 that has resulted in the tragic loss of life in 

4 Nagorno-Karabakh; 

5 (2) calls on leaders in Armenia and Azerbaijan 

6 to immediately de-escalate the situation, end hos7 tilities, utilize the Organization for Security and Co8 operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group process 

9 instead of military means and return to the cease10 fire agreement along the line of contact between 

11 Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, and protect the 

12 human rights of those in the area in order to pre13 vent even further loss of life; 

14 (3) calls on each country to renew its commit15 ment to the OSCE Minsk Group process and recog16 nize that dialogue, not violence, is the only way to 

17 bring a comprehensive and enduring peace to the re18 gion; 

19 (4) reaffirms United States support for OSCE 

20 Minsk Group efforts to secure an agreement from 

21 Armenia and Azerbaijan to cease offensive military 

22 operations in Nagorno-Karabakh and to accept inde23 pendent third-party monitoring along the line of con24 tact; and 


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•HRES 1196 IH 

1 (5) calls on all external parties to refrain from 

2 providing military and other support to either side, 

3 which merely inflames hostilities and further jeop4 ardizes regional peace and stability, including the re5 cent destabilizing rhetoric of President Tayyip 

6 Erdog ̆an and the Turkish military. 

Æ 


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