Thirty-nine House members cosigned a letter this week initiated by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) urging the leaders of the U.S. House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee to support provisions in the FY09 foreign aid bill that advance U.S. interests and American values in Armenia and the surrounding region, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) told PanARMENIAN.Net.

Armenian Caucus led effort urges cutting all military aid to Azerbaijan and encourages steps toward U.S. diplomatic ties with Nagorno Karabakh.

"We want to thank Congressmen Knollenberg and Pallone and all those who joined with the Armenian Caucus in this initiative to promote a balanced and constructive path toward peace and development in the Caucasus region," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

"Armenian Americans look forward to working hard to help enact the foreign aid priorities outlined in this letter, including, notably, the bipartisan effort to put an end to the artificial diplomatic isolation that the Azerbaijani government has sought to impose upon Nagorno Karabakh by trying to block nearly all U.S. contacts and communication with the people and democratically elected leaders of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic."