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Washington, D.C. --- In direct response to an announcement from the Turkish government earlier this month that it plans to proceed with a rail line in the South Caucasus region that bypasses Armenia, eight U.S. lawmakers sent a letter today to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging her to denounce the project since it intentionally excludes Armenia and undermines the United States' policy in the region.
The letter was initiated by U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), co-chairmen of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. U.S. Reps. George Radanovich (R-CA), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Edward Royce (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) joined the co-chairs in sending the letter to Secretary Rice.
The proposed railway, which would link the cities of Baku, Azerbaijan, Akhalkalaki, Georgia and Kars, Turkey, is designed to bypass a pre-existing rail line in Armenia that could be brought online with a few minor updates and repairs. According to a Turkish government statement, a meeting will be scheduled later this month for the three nations now involved in the rail line to meet and discuss the next phase of the project.
"The United States’ policy toward the South Caucasus region is focused on fostering regional stability and enhanced cooperation," the eight lawmakers wrote to Secretary Rice. "Open and integrated transportation routes among Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey are necessary to promote cooperation, support economic growth, and help resolve regional conflicts. Unfortunately, this policy is being undermined by efforts to exclude Armenia in regional development projects."
The eight lawmakers wrote that the proposed rail link would cost between $400 million and $800 million and would take years to construct, while a perfectly workable rail link already exists and would be fully operational with a few minor repairs.
"This new rail line has been proposed so that the region can develop economically without any benefit to Armenia, further strangling them into economic isolation," the lawmakers continued. "Azerbaijan’s leading role in developing the proposed new railroad and other similar actions serve to undermine and avoid a just solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and potentially destabilize the region."
Last month, Knollenberg and Pallone introduced legislation (H.R. 3361) that explicitly prohibits any U.S. assistance for the project unless Armenia is included. |
