Washington (October 3, 2024) – As COP29 approaches, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Representative Frank Pallone (NJ-06), and 60 members of Congress are urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to take decisive action against Azerbaijan's human rights violations before the global climate summit in November. In their letter to Secretary Blinken, the lawmakers emphasized that while COP29 presents an opportunity to strengthen clean energy cooperation in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan’s worsening human rights record cannot be ignored.
The letter highlights Azerbaijan’s ongoing violations of international law, and its inflammatory rhetoric toward Armenia. The lawmakers also emphasized the importance of regional cooperation on clean energy and urged the U.S. to deepen its partnership with Armenia to reduce reliance on Russian energy.
The lawmakers wrote, “Despite overwhelming evidence and international condemnation, Azerbaijan has not faced meaningful consequences for the ethnic cleansing and other actions. Additionally, as of the end of 2023, Azerbaijan had detained several of Nagorno-Karabakh’s political leaders and at least 23 prisoners of war; many others were unaccounted for or captured, some of whom were extrajudicially killed by Azerbaijani soldiers or law enforcement.”
The lawmakers continued, “As the United States continues to deepen its bilateral relationship with Armenia, we ask the State Department, in consultation with the United States Department of Energy, to identify opportunities for greater U.S.-Armenia clean energy cooperation to reduce Armenian reliance on Russian energy…The Armenian government’s proactive approach, exemplified by the approval of the Energy Saving and Renewable Energy Program for 2022-2030, demonstrates a significant commitment to sustainable energy practices, especially relating to increased solar energy development and the safe use of other zero-emission generation.”
The full text of the letter can be found HERE:
Co-signers in the Senate include Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacklyn Rosen (NV), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ron Wyden (OR), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Co-signers in the House of Representatives include Representatives Gabe Amo (RI-01), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Greg Casar (TX-35), Sean Casten (IL-06), Kathy Castor (FL-11), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Jim Costa (CA-21), Danny Davis (IL-07), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Anna Eshoo (CA-16), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Daniel Kildee (MI-08), John Larson (CT-01), Barbara Lee (CA-12), Susie Lee (NV-03), Mike Levin (CA-49), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), James McGovern (MA-02), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Grace Napolitano (CA-31), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Scott Peters (CA-50), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), John Sarbanes (MD-03), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Adam Schiff (CA-30), Bradley Schneider (IL-10), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Thomas Suozzi (NY-03), Dina Titus (NV-01), Lori Trahan (MA-03), David Valadao (CA-22).
Senator Markey has long been a supporter of the Armenian diaspora in Massachusetts. In April 2024, Senator Markey joined his colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the Department of State to prioritize the release of Armenian political leaders currently being held illegally by Azerbaijan as prisoners, including as a condition of any peace deal reached by Armenia and Azerbaijan in the aftermath of Azerbaijan’s military assault on Nagorno Karabakh in September 2023.
In February 2024, Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) introduced a bipartisan resolution to require that the Secretary of State provide a report on Azerbaijan’s human rights practices, including concerning allegations of human rights violations committed against ethnic Armenians, such as unlawful killings, torture, restrictions on freedom of movement, the illegal detention of political prisoners, and ethnic cleansing.
In September 2022, Senator Markey and his colleagues led a letter calling for the U.S. to cease any security assistance to Azerbaijan until Armenia and Azerbaijan reach a permanent resolution that would ensure peace and stability in Nagorno-Karabakh. In November 2020, Senator Markey, then-a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed his concern about the Russian-brokered agreement signed between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia to end the fighting in Nagorno Karabakh and surrounding areas. In October 2020, he urged then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to seek an immediate ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan while pushing for a negotiated resolution to the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh.
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