House

Led by Pelosi, congressional delegation lands in Armenia

by Julia Shapero - 09/17/22 1:27 PM ET

Head of Armenian National Assembly Alen Simonyan, right, welcomes U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi upon her arrival at the International Airport outside of Yerevan, Armenia, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. A US Congressional delegation headed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi arrived Saturday in Armenia, where a cease-fire has held for three days after an outburst of fighting with neighboring Azerbaijan that killed more than 200 troops from both sides. (Photolure photo via AP)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) landed in Armenia on Saturday for a congressional visit, becoming the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the country.

“Our Congressional delegation’s visit to Armenia is a powerful symbol of the United States’ firm commitment to a peaceful, prosperous and democratic Armenia, and a stable and secure Caucasus region,” Pelosi said in a press release.

The trip comes amid renewed clashes between Armenia and its neighbor Azerbaijan. More than 150 soldiers were killed in a flare-up last week before the two sides agreed to a cease-fire on Wednesday.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought over the Nagorno-Karabakh region for decades. In 2020, more than 6,700 people were killed during a six-week war between the countries.

Pelosi was joined by Reps. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) on the trip. Speier and Pallone serve as co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, and Speier and Eshoo are both Armenian American, Pelosi noted.

Pelosi’s office said in a statement Saturday that the Speaker is poised to deliver an address to “reaffirm America’s strong support for the people of Armenia and for their security and democracy” on Sunday.

The speech will be given at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts in Yerevan, Armenia.

Tags Anna Eshoo Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict Frank Pallone Jackie Speier Jackie Speier Nancy Pelosi Nancy Pelosi