Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) has introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen America's relationship with the Caucasus country of Armenia and to impose more substantial penalties against its neighbor, Azerbaijan.
The Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan is an ethnic Armenian enclave that the two countries have fought over since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
In September 2023, the Azerbaijanis launched an offensive into Nagorno-Karabakh that saw nearly the entire enclave's population, approximately 100,000 people, flee to Armenia.
More recently, President Donald Trump hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in August for a peace agreement that will see the United States preside over the development of a corridor linking Azerbaijan to its westernmost exclave, Nakhchivan.
As a result, Rep. Bilirakis's Armenia Security Partnership Act aims to ensure the August peace agreement is honored by the Azerbaijanis by demanding their withdrawal from Armenian territory, releasing all prisoners taken in the most recent conflict, and allowing the Armenians displaced in 2023 to return home to Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Armenia is a key partner in a volatile region and deserves meaningful support as it faces continued threats to its sovereignty and security," said Rep. Bilirakis in a press release. "This legislation sends a clear message that the United States will not turn a blind eye to aggression, human rights abuses, or the forced displacement of ethnic Armenians. Accountability must be at the center of our foreign policy."
Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), the bill's primary cosponsor, expressed, "For far too long, Azerbaijan has been allowed to act with impunity to destabilize the South Caucasus, commit horrific human rights abuses, and threaten the Armenian people."
"Our bill is a great step in the right direction to finally hold the Aliyev regime accountable for ongoing crimes against humanity and threats to lasting peace in the region," he continued. "I look forward to working with Congressman Bilirakis and the rest of my colleagues to pass it into law."
In September, Bilirakis led an effort to ensure the United States would not readmit the nearby country of Turkey (Turkiye) into the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
