Whereas peace, stability, and democracy in the Caucasus region are in the political, security, and economic interests of the United States and are matters of international concern; Whereas the United States considers any effort to determine the future of the Republic of Artsakh, formerly the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, by other than peaceful means, including acts of aggression, blockades, or threats against civil aviation, a threat to peace; Whereas the United States remains committed to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk Group negotiations toward a durable and democratic resolution of outstanding status and security issues related to the Artsakh Republic; Whereas the Artsakh Republic was one of three parties to the 1994 cease-fire that ended major military hostilities between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, and remains committed to a negotiated, non-violent resolution; Whereas the Artsakh Republic took part in OSCE negotiations until 1998, when, at Azerbaijan’s insistence, the OSCE blocked its democratically elected representatives from full and direct participation in negotiations regarding its future status and security; Whereas the Artsakh Republic has developed democratic institutions, fostered a pluralist political system, and, over the past quarter century, held parliamentary and Presidential elections that have been rated as free and fair by international observers; Whereas the Artsakh Republic, along with the United States, Armenia, and the OSCE, support cease-fire monitoring proposals to strengthen the 1994 cease-fire, including— (1) an agreement from all sides to not deploy snipers, heavy arms, or new weaponry along the line of contact; (2) the placement of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact; and (3) the deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact to better monitor the cease-fire