STATEMENT

On September 22, 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the “Supporting Armenians Against Azerbaijani Aggression Act” (H. R. 5683), an NDA-backed legislation which has already been introduced in the U.S. Senate. The House-version of the bill is identical in language to the Senate version (S. 2900) and holds Azerbaijan accountable for its atrocities against Artsakh as well as establishes frameworks for the U.S-Armenia bilateral relationship across a number of sectors, including, but not limited to, science and technology, defense and security, and energy. Critically, the legislation authorizes $10 million in Foreign Military Financing program assistance for the Republic of Armenia and mandates the formation of a strategy to provide security for the Armenian population of Artsakh. This legislation demonstrates that the NDA’s policy message is gaining significant ground in Washington, DC. Stronger and more meaningful US-Armenia relations are the cornerstone of NDA’s strategy vis-a-vis Washington, which represents a major shift from all previous efforts that focused by and large on historical and symbolic issues, while ignoring Armenia’s (including Artsakh) defense and security needs. Given the severety of the situation, NDA will continue working through its professional lobbyists in Washington to secure passage of this groundbreaking legislation. We call upon our U.S.-based supporters to contact their member of congress and ask them to become co-sponsors of the bill.

NDA Governing Council
October 4, 2023