WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representative Mike Garcia (CA-25) sent a letter along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin urging the Biden administration to strengthen U.S. – Armenian ties. The lawmakers also urged the Biden administration to hold Azerbaijan and Turkey accountable for past aggressions.

“The United States cannot allow Russia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan to solely dictate and dominate the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. While we have seen some reengagement in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group process, we believe more must be done to pursue an enduring settlement based on the fundamental right to self-determination,” the lawmakers wrote. 

In the letter, the lawmakers requested that the Biden administration help ensure lasting peace in the region and not allow Russia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan to dictate the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“In negotiations, our diplomats must insist that any future settlement supported by the United States will provide the people of Artsakh with the ability to reconstruct their communities and rebuild their lives without fear of further bloodshed,” the lawmakers wrote. 

Click here to read the full letter.