Bill to Bar Assistance for Railway Bypassing Armenia Introduced in U.S. Senate

As Armenian Assembly activists stormed Capitol Hill topromote community concerns to over 80 congressional offices today, Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced a major bill (S. 2461) in the U.S. Senate that would bar assistance for a proposed $800 million railway that would connect Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey while bypassing Armenia, reported the Armenian Assembly of America. “United States policy in the South Caucasus seeks to foster regional stability and enhanced cooperation, and includes open borders and transport corridors,” Santorum said.  “The proposed rail link would not only undermine U.S. long-term goals for the region, but serves to isolate Armenia.  Efforts to foster economic integration and reduce the risk of further tensions are in the best interests of the United States and the South Caucasus.” Menendez, echoing Santorum, added that “the sole aim of this costly project is to further isolate Armenia by enhancing the ongoing Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades.”