Speaker Pelosi strongly condemns ‘illegal and deadly attacks by Azerbaijan’ during visit to Armenia

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds a press conference in the Parliament in Yerevan on September 18, 2022. - US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned on September 18, 2022, Azerbaijan’s attack on Armenia, days after border clashes between the Caucasus arch foes claimed the lives of more than 200 people. (Photo by Karen MINASYAN / AFP) (Photo by KAREN MINASYAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Nancy Pelosi made a speech in Armenia on Sunday to express her support for the nation.

In a press conference, Pelosi said that the violence posed a threat to prospects for a peace deal. She said the US supports a negotiated settlement.

This week, fighting broke out between the two countries over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The two nations engaged in a war over the territory that left thousands dead in 2020. A cease-fire took effect on Wednesday after the two countries blamed each other for the renewed conflict.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Pelosi's statement "deeply regrettable" and "unfair" in a release on Sunday.

In an effort to highlight the U.S.'s commitment to Armenia's security, democratic governance and economic prosperity, Nancy Pelosi will lead a congressional delegation to the country on Saturday. According to the release, Pelosi is the highest-ranking US official to ever visit Armenia.

The killing of 1.5 million people by Ottoman Empire forces in the early 20th century was officially recognized by the president last year. It is the first time in history that the U.S. has called the atrocities the genocide due to concerns over alienating Turkey.

Congress is committed to always honoring our collective responsibility to uphold the memory of the dead, affirm the history of this tragedy, and ensure such a horror can never again happen, Pelosi wrote on her verified account.