ANCA leaders with the President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Bako Sahakian
Visiting Delegation Consults with Artsakh Leaders Regarding Practical Steps to Support Cease-fire, Strengthen Aid Programs, Stop Aliyev’s Aggression
STEPANAKERT—Leaders of the Armenian National Committee of America consulted with the Nagorno Karabakh Republic President Bako Sahakian this week at Artsakh’s Tigranakert Muesum Conplex, the site of the eponymous 1 BC fortress built by the Armenian King Tirgan, regarding the grassroots organization’s ongoing efforts to implement the Royce-Engel peace proposals, expand U.S. aid programs to Artsakh, and counter Azerbaijan’s reckless military escalation.
Congressional calls for the Royce-Engel proposals have grown in the wake of Azerbaijan’s April 2nd offensive against Nagorno Karabakh. These recommendations, drafted by the Chairman and Ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), respectively, have the support of over 90 of their House colleagues. These practical peacekeeping proposals include:
1. An agreement from all sides not to deploy snipers, heavy arms, or new weaponry along the line of contact;
2. The placement of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact, and;
3. The deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact to better monitor cease-fire violations.
“We welcome this opportunity to reaffirm our shared commitment to the Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s security and independent status,â€
