Washington – Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs today released the following statement on the eruption of fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijan forces in Nagorno-Karabakh: 

“I am deeply concerned and alarmed by the escalating violence and tragic loss of life in Nagorno-Karabakh.  I call on leaders in Azerbaijan and Armenia to take concrete steps to de-escalate the situation, end hostilities, and refrain from seizing territory across the line of contact. Each country must renew its commitment to OSCE Minsk Group process. Dialogue, not violence, is the only way to bring a comprehensive and enduring peace to the region.

“In addition, the influence of external actors such as Turkey recklessly meddling in the conflict is troubling. The international community must remain committed to the peace process. As a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the United States should not tolerate Turkey disrupting the peace process and exacerbating a conflict already careening toward drastic escalation.”