Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a press briefing on Oct. 14

Announces $5 Million Humanitarian Aid Package

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday welcomed the end of military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan and urged Yerevan and Baku to reengage with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to negotiate “a lasting solution.”

“From the start of the recent hostilities, the United States called for an end to the violence and condemned the military escalation that resulted in significant casualties, including civilians.  We once again extend our condolences to the families of those killed and injured and call on all parties to respect their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law,” said Pompeo’s statement.

Pompeo said ending the recent fighting is only the first step toward achieving a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“We urge the sides to re-engage as soon as possible with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Co-Chairs to pursue a lasting and sustainable political solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the Helsinki Final Act principles of the non-use or threat of force, territorial integrity, and the self-determination and equal rights of peoples.  As a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the United States remains fully engaged in this effort,” he stated.

The United States also announced $5 million in humanitarian assistance to support the operations of the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organization and non-governmental organization partners to assist people affected by the recent fighting.

“The aid announced today by Secretary Pompeo represents a small down payment on the large scale humanitarian, reconstruction, and development assistance that the United States must urgently provide to Artsakh and Armenia, a fraction of the funds needed to help Armenians recover from weeks of relentless aggression by Azerbaijan and its Turkish/ISIS allies,” said Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian

The new assistance, provided by the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, will support local efforts to provide food, health, shelter, and other emergency assistance to conflict-affected persons.

“U.S. government humanitarian experts continue to assess the impacts of this crisis.  We recognize the contributions of our existing partners in the international community and call on other governments to join with new and increasing support for these efforts,” Pompeo said.