[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 20, 1994)] [House] [Page H] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [Congressional Record: September 20, 1994] From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] LIFT THE EMBARGO ON ARMENIA AND NAGORNO-KARABAKH (Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform my colleagues about my recent trip to Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia, and Azerbaijan and to submit a copy of my report into the Record. I traveled to the region to view firsthand the situation in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh and to meet with government officials on both sides of the conflict. This region is largely forgotten but desperately needy. I saw horrible conditions. Doctors are operating without anesthesia using only a stiff dose of cognac. Land mines planted by the retreating Azeri army have caused injury and amputation of limbs of women and children as well as soldiers. People are living in hazardous partially bombed-out apartment buildings in the cities and in lean-tos among the debris of totally demolished villages in the rural areas. But the governments on both sides want resolution. I think the administration should appoint a special envoy and put pressure on the governments of Turkey and Azerbaijan to lift the embargo on Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh to allow resources, including electricity, to begin flowing into the region. The winter will be harsh and hundreds will die if this blockade continues. Let us not forget the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. Mr. Speaker, I am inserting at this point in the Record a copy of the report of my trip to Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia, and Azerbaijan as follows: Report of Congressman Frank R. Wolf (Member of CSCE) Trip to Nagorno- Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan, August, 1994. As part of a delegation organized by Christian Solidarity International I recently traveled to Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan to view firsthand the situation in the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh and to meet with officials on both sides of the continuing conflict. The Nagorno-Karabakh leg of the visit was led by Baroness Caroline Cox of the House of Lords, U.K. who was bringing humanitarian relief supplies from the British people and volunteer construction workers and nurses to the beleaguered area. Representatives of Christian Solidarity International and members of British media were also in our group. Background Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous region within the boundaries of the country of Azerbaijan very near the Armenian border. In 1921 Stalin, then Comissar for Nationality Affairs in the Transcaucasia Bureau of the Communist Party, declared Nagorno-Karabakh to be an autonomous region controlled by Azerbaijan as part of his divide and rule policy for nationalities. Historically, the majority of the population has been Armenian and the people have always had close ethnic, religious and familial ties with Armenia. So with the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Karabakh Armenians in 1987 petitioned for inclusion of Nagorno-Karabakh in the state of Armenia. In 1991, they petitioned for independent state status. Azerbaijan considered this petition to be a matter of territorial integrity and refused to allow it. In 1988, large demonstrations were held by Armenians both in Nagorno- Karabakh and Armenia. With Karabakh Armenians insisting on independence and Azerbaijan insisting that Nagorno-Karabakh is Azeri territory with the Karabakhis in internal rebellion, the stalemate has escalated into a full-scale war over the past six years. The result has been immense suffering on both sides and numerous incidents of atrocities. Thousands of Armenian Karabakhs and Azeris have been killed and wounded. Deportations and resettlements for ethnic cleansing have taken place. There are over one million refugees and internally displaced persons, villages destroyed in both Nagorno-Karabakh and nearby areas of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey have blockaded Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia cutting shipments of all supplies and resources, including electricity. During our Nagorno-Karabakh visit, there was no hot water at all and sporadic periods of electric blackouts. In Armenia there is electricity only a few hours every day. Feeling pushed and surrounded, Armenia has reluctantly accepted the return of Russian military troops to its soil. To date the Azerbaijanis have resisted the offer of Russian troops. Currently the Karabakh Armenians have the upper hand militarily. There has been a ceasefire in effect since May which has allowed some negotiations to go forward. There is a struggle over the peace process. The CSCE, on which I serve, created the Minsk Group to come up with a plan. The Russians have made their own proposal. Neither Nagorno-Karabakh or Azerbaijan appear to be satisfied with either plan. observations Armenia is committed to the Nagorno-Karabakh struggle for independence. Even after suffering six years of war, the Karabakhis are determined to go on until they gain independence from Azerbaijan, as one person said, ``for every last man, woman and child of Nagorno-Karabakh.'' The people of Nagorno-Karabakh have lived in war conditions and endured many losses and deprivations, yet they show great resilience. They are very hospitable and make do with what they have, even sharing their meager possessions. While fervently wishing for peace, they remain ready to continue their struggle. There is widespread destruction throughout Nagorno- Karabakh, but some rebuilding has begun among the rubble despite the expectation by many Karabakhis that the ceasefire will end and an Azeri offensive will start. The food, medicine and shelter needs in Nagorno-Karabakh are great. Doctors told us of surgery done without anesthesia using only a stiff dose of local cognac. Land mines planted by retreating Azerbaijanis have caused injury necessitating amputation of limbs of women and children as well as soldiers. Because of the ceasefire, some supplies have recently come in to Nagorno-Karabakh and the growth of summertime local crops have sustained the people somewhat. But the living conditions are still bleak. We saw people living in hazardous partially bombed-out apartment buildings in the cities of Stepanakert and Shusha and found rural peasants living in lean-tos amid the debris of totally demolished villages and virtually deserted villages. I am greatly concerned about the hardships that the winter will cause these people, as winters are severe in this mountainous region. Compounding the plight of Nagorno-Karabakh has been the absence of outside international attention. Since it is a blockaded enclave within hostile Azeri territory, Nagorno- Karabakh is effectively shut off from entry by outsiders. Movement into and out of Nagorno-Karabakh is nearly impossible. Also, since it is still officially part of Azerbaijan and disputed territory, U.S. officials (because the U.S. maintains diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan) are not allowed to visit Nagorno-Karabakh. Other than Baroness Caroline Cox of the British House of Lords, who has made 21 visits to Nagorno-Karabakh, no Western officials have had sustained contact with the enclave. The U.S. State Department has de-emphasized resolution of the conflict by replacing former negotiator John Maresca, who focused only on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and retired earlier this year, with a representative assigned to monitor all ethnic conflicts in the former Soviet republics. Aside from some assistance funneled to Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia (including aid from the world wide Armenian community), we heard that the only international groups assisting in Nagorno-Karabakh are the International Red Cross monitoring the war situation and prisoners of war, the French Medicines Sans Frontiers, and Christina Solidarity International who have provided some humanitarian aid. The Azerbaijanis are also suffering greatly from this war. Their officials report a million Azeri refugees and internally displaced persons scattered in ill-equipped camps throughout Azerbaijan. They have lost access to the crops grown in Nagorno-Karabakh which supplied one-third of their total grain needs. We heard stories (one from an Azeri prisoner of war) that young Azeri men are being conscripted into military service right off the streets. The war effort has seriously hampered economic conditions and development of Azerbaijan's vast natural resources such as oil. Continued instability caused by the war may cause Western companies to lose interest in investing in Azerbaijan's resources. We met with a group of private voluntary organizations who are actively supplying aid to Azeri refugees and IDPs, but they reported that their combined efforts do not meet the needs of the people. CONCLUSIONS While the parties involved must reach agreement among themselves, the U.S. clearly has a role to play in aiding the peace process. The U.S. should have a full-time special envoy working on this problem, taking an active role in bringing the parties together for resolution. There should be no U.S. military involvement. The West should understand that Nagorno-Karabakh has every right to expect some form of independence based upon agreed to borders. The U.S. should do everything possible to encourage Azebaijan and Turkey to lift their blockades which are causing untold misery. Lifting the blockade may be the key to unlocking the peace process. I believe introduction of Russian troops is a mistake. I see this as a means for them to re-establish their sphere of influence in the region. Russian troops are now present in Georgia, Moldova and Armenia and are interested in entering Azerbaijan. We need to be sure that the CIS (Confederation of Independent States) does not become the FIS (Formerly Independent States) and that these countries maintain their independence. More PVO's should be encouraged to be active in Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan to help the suffering people of all three areas. While I favor continuation of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act until the blockades are lifted, I believe there must be some flexibility in the enforcement so the PVOs have the ability to help the people in Azerbaijan. The PVOs providing needed assistance have been hampered by too strict interpretation of the 907 language. Private groups should be encouraged to help with deactivating the many hidden land mines which remain in Nagorno-Karabakh causing continued maiming of the civilian population. Its important for leaders of all sides to resolve this issue because the people are suffering so much and because the region has great opportunity to flourish. There should be a bright future because of the natural resources of the area as well as the personal qualities of the people of both countries. Meetings nagorno-karabakh Zori Balayan, Writer and member of Nagorno-Karabakh parliament. Karon Barbourian, Speaker of Nagorno-Karabakh parliament. Azeri prisoners-of-war. armenia Serge Sarkissian, Minister of Defense. Gragik Haratounian, Vice President of Armenia. Robert Robinson, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees representative. Robert McClendon, U.S. Peace Corps Director in Armenia. John Lynn, TACIS representative (European Union's technical assistance program). Harry Gilmore, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia. Edith Khachatourian, Director of Yerevan office of Armenia Assembly of America. Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan. Hassan Hassanov, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Rasul Quliyev, Speaker of Parliament. Ramig Maharrouisi, Azeri refugee from Nagorno-Karabakh, doctor, Chief of Shusha clinic for refugees in Baku. Representatives from PVOs: Save the Children--Lutful Kabir and Mike Kendellen; Inter. Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent--Daniel Valle and John Maim; U.N. World Food Programme--Ann Hudacek; CARE-USA--G.S. Azam; World Vision International--Keith Buck; Relief International--Mary Taylor; International Rescue Committee--Richard Jacquot; and U.N.H.C.R.--Yan Long. Richard D. Kauzlarich, U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan. ____________________