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ANCA Rapid Responder Letter - Our 2018 Armenian American Advocacy Priorities

Dear Senator:

As we begin the Second Session of the 115th Congress, I wanted to share with you a number of issues related to Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) that are important to me, my family, and my community. I would be interested in learning of your positions on these policy priorities and look forward to hearing of any actions you take on issues related to these matters:

Genocide/Truth

The Turkish government of Recep Erdogan – an increasingly erratic and anti-American authoritarian – continues to exercise a veto over honest American remembrance of the Armenian Genocide. We can and must stop outsourcing U.S. genocide policy to a foreign regime.

— Call on President Trump, in his April 24th statement, to reject Ankara’s gag-rule against honest American remembrance of the Armenian Genocide – a crime, still denied by Turkey, that murdered and exiled millions of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, and other Christians.

— Work for passage of S.Res.136, a bipartisan Senate resolution that seeks to ensure that U.S. foreign policy “reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity” of the Armenian Genocide.

— Participate in the annual Capitol Hill Armenian Genocide commemoration, a solemn remembrance that pays tribute to the millions of Christian victims of this atrocity.

— Call on the Senate and House intelligence panels to investigate the Turkish government’s attempts to manipulate American policy – including its campaign to block U.S. remembrance of the Armenian Genocide – with a special focus on the potential collusion of U.S officials in such efforts.

Erdogan/Justice

The Turkish government remains entirely unapologetic and arrogantly unrepentant regarding the May 16, 2017 attacks by President Erdogan’s bodyguards on peaceful American protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador’s residence in Washington, DC.

— Call on the Department of Justice and the Department of State to formally request that Turkey extradite members of Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail who have been criminally charged with attacking peaceful American protesters.

Armenia/Partnership:

Armenia partners with the United States on a broad array of regional and international security challenges, and has provided troops for U.S and NATO led peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, and Mali. Help Armenia complete its aid-to-trade transition:

— Trade: Call on the Administration to negotiate a Tax Treaty with Armenia that will eliminate the threat of double taxation, a major but entirely unnecessary barrier to the growth of bilateral trade and investment.

— Trade: Support the administrative and regulatory actions needed to support the launch of non-stop Los Angeles to Yerevan commercial and cargo flights.

— Aid: Appropriate at least $40 million in FY19 assistance, with a special focus on expanding the U.S.-Armenia economic ties and also expanding military relations (prioritizing NATO interoperability and peacekeeping operations).

— Aid: Appropriate at least $40 million in FY19 to support Armenia’s admirable efforts to serve as a regional safe-haven for at-risk Middle East refugees.

— Aid: Support a new Millennium Challenge compact with Armenia to support STEM education in Armenia’s public schools.

— Aid: Co-sign the annual Armenian Caucus letter to the leadership of the State-Foreign Operations Subcommittee.

Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) / Peace:

The key to a durable and democratic peace in the Caucasus region – a longstanding U.S. foreign policy priority – is strengthening the 1994 cease-fire:

— Call for renewed U.S. pressure upon Azerbaijan to stop obstructing the implementation of the Royce-Engel peace proposals for Artsakh, life-saving, common sense cease-fire strengthening measures that have been endorsed by the State Department, the OSCE, Armenia and Artsakh:

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.

— Appropriate at least $20 million in FY19 to support implementation of the Royce-Engel peace proposals

— Suspend U.S. military aid to Baku and strengthen Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act.

Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) / Partnership

The government and citizens of Artsakh are committed to strengthening their partnership with the U.S. government and the American people.

— Support the growth of U.S.-Artsakh official, civic, cultural, economic and other ties, including through the elimination of outdated and obsolete barriers to travel, contacts, and communication between government officials and civil society stakeholders.

— Appropriate at least $8 million in FY19 in expanded assistance to Artsakh, with a special focus on the completion of HALO Trust’s de-mining and rehabilitation services for infants, children and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities.

— Publicly mark the 30th anniversary of the anti-Armenian massacres in Azerbaijan and the Artsakh liberation movement, which helped spark the democratic movement that brought down the Soviet Empire and the threat the Warsaw Pact represented to the free world.

Region/Security

Keep U.S. arms and technology out of the hands of foreign regimes that will use them for offensive purposes, including, potentially, against the United States and our allies.

— Block proposed arms sales to Turkey, ranging from firearms to Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail all the way up to F-35s for the Turkish military.

— Oppose third-party licenses for the transfer of advanced U.S. weapons, parts and technology to Azerbaijan, including for a proposed sale of the Iron Dome system to Baku.

Thank you for your consideration of my requests and for your service to your constituents and the American people. I look forward to hearing from you at earliest convenience regarding your policy positions and legislative actions on each these points.

Sincerely,

 


Dear Representative:

As we begin the Second Session of the 115th Congress, I wanted to share with you a number of issues related to Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) that are important to me, my family, and my community. I would be interested in learning of your positions on these policy priorities and look forward to hearing of any actions you take on issues related to these matters:

Genocide/Truth

The Turkish government of Recep Erdogan – an increasingly erratic and anti-American authoritarian – continues to exercise a veto over honest American remembrance of the Armenian Genocide. We can and must stop outsourcing U.S. genocide policy to a foreign regime.

— Call on President Trump, in his April 24th statement, to reject Ankara’s gag-rule against honest American remembrance of the Armenian Genocide – a crime, still denied by Turkey, that murdered and exiled millions of Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, and other Christians.

— Work for passage of H.Res.220, a bipartisan genocide prevention measure drawing upon the lessons of the Armenian Genocide.

— Participate in the annual Capitol Hill Armenian Genocide commemoration, a solemn remembrance that pays tribute to the millions of Christian victims of this atrocity.

— Call on the Senate and House intelligence panels to investigate the Turkish government’s attempts to manipulate American policy – including its campaign to block U.S. remembrance of the Armenian Genocide – with a special focus on the potential collusion of U.S officials in such efforts.

Erdogan/Justice

The Turkish government remains entirely unapologetic and arrogantly unrepentant regarding the May 16, 2017 attacks by President Erdogan’s bodyguards on peaceful American protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador’s residence in Washington, DC.

— Call on the Department of Justice and the Department of State to formally request that Turkey extradite members of Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail who have been criminally charged with attacking peaceful American protesters.

Armenia/Partnership:

Armenia partners with the United States on a broad array of regional and international security challenges, and has provided troops for U.S and NATO led peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, and Mali. Help Armenia complete its aid-to-trade transition:

— Trade: Call on the Administration to negotiate a Tax Treaty with Armenia that will eliminate the threat of double taxation, a major but entirely unnecessary barrier to the growth of bilateral trade and investment.

— Trade: Support the administrative and regulatory actions needed to support the launch of non-stop Los Angeles to Yerevan commercial and cargo flights.

— Aid: Appropriate at least $40 million in FY19 assistance, with a special focus on expanding the U.S.-Armenia economic ties and also expanding military relations (prioritizing NATO interoperability and peacekeeping operations).

— Aid: Appropriate at least $40 million in FY19 to support Armenia’s admirable efforts to serve as a regional safe-haven for at-risk Middle East refugees.

— Aid: Support a new Millennium Challenge compact with Armenia to support STEM education in Armenia’s public schools.

— Aid: Co-sign the annual Armenian Caucus letter to the leadership of the State-Foreign Operations Subcommittee.

Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) / Peace:

The key to a durable and democratic peace in the Caucasus region – a longstanding U.S. foreign policy priority – is strengthening the 1994 cease-fire:

— Call for renewed U.S. pressure upon Azerbaijan to stop obstructing the implementation of the Royce-Engel peace proposals for Artsakh, life-saving, common sense cease-fire strengthening measures that have been endorsed by the State Department, the OSCE, Armenia and Artsakh:

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.

— Appropriate at least $20 million in FY19 to support implementation of the Royce-Engel peace proposals

— Suspend U.S. military aid to Baku and strengthen Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act.

Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) / Partnership

The government and citizens of Artsakh are committed to strengthening their partnership with the U.S. government and the American people.

— Support the growth of U.S.-Artsakh official, civic, cultural, economic and other ties, including through the elimination of outdated and obsolete barriers to travel, contacts, and communication between government officials and civil society stakeholders.

— Appropriate at least $8 million in FY19 in expanded assistance to Artsakh, with a special focus on the completion of HALO Trust’s de-mining and rehabilitation services for infants, children and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities.

— Publicly mark the 30th anniversary of the anti-Armenian massacres in Azerbaijan and the Artsakh liberation movement, which helped spark the democratic movement that brought down the Soviet Empire and the threat the Warsaw Pact represented to the free world.

Region/Security

Keep U.S. arms and technology out of the hands of foreign regimes that will use them for offensive purposes, including, potentially, against the United States and our allies.

— Block proposed arms sales to Turkey, ranging from firearms to Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail all the way up to F-35s for the Turkish military.

— Oppose third-party licenses for the transfer of advanced U.S. weapons, parts and technology to Azerbaijan, including for a proposed sale of the Iron Dome system to Baku.

Congressional Armenian Caucus

If you are already a member of the Armenian Caucus, please reach out to its leadership David Valadao, Frank Pallone, Dave Trott, Jackie Speier, Gus Bilirakis, and Adam Schiff to offer your support. If you are not a member, please consider joining this bipartisan legislative group.

Thank you for your consideration of my requests and for your service to your constituents and the American people. I look forward to hearing from you at earliest convenience regarding your policy positions and legislative actions on each these points.

Sincerely,

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