U.S. Congressmen have called on stopping funding for Azerbaijan and provide assistance to the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh instead, reported Voice of America.

During the hearings organized by the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Brad Sherman addressed the Program Manager of the United States Agency for International Development with a call to provide assistance to Artsakh.

“You are aware that Armenia, which is blockaded by Turkey and Azerbaijan, deserves our help. You are aware that Nagorno-Karabakh, currently the Republic of Artsakh, is located next to a belligerent force, and that the southern region of the Republic of Georgia, which is referred to as Samtskhe-Javakhk, is a region that deserves to receive a large portion of our assistance. I believe that most of my colleagues have addressed a letter on that occasion,” Brad Sherman said.

Thirty-seven U.S. Congressmen have addressed their colleagues with the call to increase the amount of U.S. assistance to Armenia to $60 million. The Congressmen have particularly called on Armenia to allocate $30 million in economic assistance, $10 million in military assistance and provide $20 million to the Armenian refugees of the Middle East having received shelter in Armenia. The letter also calls on stopping funding for Azerbaijan and providing $10 million in assistance to Artsakh for demining and installation of equipment that can help record ceasefire violations.