Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

CR: Statements On Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • CR: Statements On Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

    Congressional Record: March 28, 2006 (Senate)]
    [Page S2469-S2473]
    >From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access
    [wais.access.gpo.gov]

    STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

    By Mr. SANTORUM (for himself and Mr. Menendez): S. 2461. A bill
    to prohibit United States assistance to develop or promote any
    rail connections or railway-related connections that traverse or
    connect Baku, Azerbaijan, Tbilisi, Georgia, and Kars, Turkey, and
    that specifically exclude cities in Armenia; to the Committee on
    Foreign Relations.

    Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation
    to block U.S. support for yet another anti-Armenian initiative.

    In numerous cases over the last few years, the Turkish government has
    methodically sought to isolate Armenia economically, politically and
    socially. One of the most egregious examples was the imposition of a
    1993 blockade against Armenia in support of Azerbaijan's war against
    Karabakh Armenians.

    The Turkish government has routinely sought to exclude Armenia from
    projects that would benefit the economies of the countries of the South
    Caucasus. The latest example of this policy is the proposal to build
    a new rail line that would connect Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

    Similar to the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline, this rail link would specifically
    go around Armenia.

    Now, geographically, we all know that a pipeline or rail line that
    seeks to connect Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan would have to pass
    through Armenia. One would have to make a special effort to bypass
    Armenia.

    The U.S. should not endorse Turkey and Azerbaijan's politically
    motivated attempt to isolate Armenia.

    I therefore rise today in opposition to this plan, and to introduce
    legislation, along with my colleague, Senator Santorum, that would bar
    U.S. support and funding for a rail link connecting Georgia and Turkey,
    and which specifically excludes Armenia. This project is estimated to
    cost up to $800 million and would take three years to complete. The aim
    of this costly approach, as publicly stated by Azeri President Aliyev,
    is to isolate Armenia by enhancing the ongoing Turkish and Azerbaijani
    blockades and to keep the existing Turkey-Armenia-Georgia rail link
    shut down. This ill-conceived project runs counter to U.S. policy,
    ignores the standing Kars-Gyumri rail route, is politically and
    economically flawed and serves to destabilize the region.

    U.S. policy in the South Caucasus seeks to foster regional cooperation
    and economic integration and supports open borders and transport
    and communication corridors. U.S. support for this project would
    run counter to that policy which is why Senator Santorum and I are
    introducing this legislation today.

    We cannot continue to stoke the embers of regional conflict by
    supporting projects that deliberately exclude one of the region's
    most important members. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Working...
X