,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #aaif  ,,in ,,the ,,house    
,,of ,,representatives  ,october #af1   
#bjbj,mr4 ,keating submitted the        
following resolution2 which was referred
 to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs 
,,resolution  ,calling for an end to    
escalating violence in the              
,nagorno-,karabakh enclave1 for each    
side to return to the peace process1 and
 for external parties to cease their    
support for and interference in the     
conflict4  ,whereas1 on ,september #bg1 
#bjbj1 the most significant outbreak of 
violence since the signing of the #aiid 
cease-fire agreement began across the   
line of contact in ,nagorno-,karabakh   
between ,armenian and ,azerbaijani      
forces2 ,whereas military operations by 
each side have included the exchange of 
air strikes1 rocket attacks1 and        
artillery fire1 resulting in the deaths 
of soldiers and civilians1 the wounding 
of hundreds more1 and causing needless  
suffering to families and communities in

 the conflict zone2 ,whereas both       
,armenia and ,azerbaijan have declared  
martial law1 mobilized their armed      
forces1 and called up reserve forces1   
further escalating tensions2 ,whereas   
the conflict has the potential to       
escalate into proxy warfare among       
regional powers1 including ,turkey and  
,russia1 which would further entrench   
the conflict1 increase risk of civilian 
harm1 and threaten long-term peace and  
stability in the region2 ,whereas       
,russia maintains close economic ties to
 both ,armenia and ,azerbaijan and      
provides weapons1 other support1 and    
military guarantees to ,armenia1 which  
is a member of the ,russian-led         
,collective ,security ,treaty           
,organization 7,,csto72 ,whereas the    
,united ,states serves as a neutral     
co-chair of the ,organization for       
,security and ,co-operation in ,europe  
7,,osce7 ,minsk ,group1 along with      
,france and ,russia1 and the ,presidents
 of the ,co-,chair countries have urged 

the parties to return to a ceasefire and
 substantive negotiations as soon as    
possible2 ,whereas the ,united ,states  
remains committed to working with each  
side through the ,,osce ,minsk ,group to
 settle the conflict peacefully and     
sustainably2 ,whereas both ,azerbaijan  
and ,armenia are ,north ,atlantic       
,treaty ,organization 7,,nato7          
,partnership for ,peace countries1 which
 made a commitment to increase          
stability1 diminish threats to peace1   
and build strengthened security         
relationships among ,,nato and          
non-member countries in the             
,euro-,atlantic area2 and ,whereas a    
long-standing conflict like the one     
between ,armenia and ,azerbaijan must be
 solved through a political process     
rather than military aggression3 ,now1  
therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of    
,representatives-- 7#a7 expresses alarm 
at the escalating violence that has     
resulted in the tragic loss of life in  
,nagorno-,karabakh2  7#b7 calls on      

leaders in ,armenia and ,azerbaijan to  
immediately de-escalate the situation1  
end hostilities1 utilize the            
,organization for ,security and         
,co-operation in ,europe 7,,osce7 ,minsk
 ,group process instead of military     
means and return to the cease-fire      
agreement along the line of contact     
between ,nagorno-,karabakh and          
,azerbaijan1 and protect the human      
rights of those in the area in order to 
prevent even further loss of life2  7#c7
 calls on each country to renew its     
commitment to the ,,osce ,minsk ,group  
process and recognize that dialogue1 not
 violence1 is the only way to bring a   
comprehensive and enduring peace to the 
region2  7#d7 reaffirms ,united ,states 
support for ,,osce ,minsk ,group efforts
 to secure an agreement from ,armenia   
and ,azerbaijan to cease offensive      
military operations in                  
,nagorno-,karabakh and to accept        
independent third-party monitoring along
 the line of contact2 and  7#e7 calls on

 all external parties to refrain from   
providing military and other support to 
either side1 which merely inflames      
hostilities and further jeopardizes     
regional peace and stability1 including 
the recent destabilizing rhetoric of    
,president ,tayyip ,erdoan and the      
,turkish military4