H.R. 6840 — ARMENIA Security Partnership Act

This section provides the short title of the Act as the “Advancing Readiness, Military Exchange, and National Integration with Armenia Security Partnership Act” or the “ARMENIA Security Partnership Act”.

This section requires the Secretary of Defense (SecDef), in coordination with other appropriate national security agencies, to certify to the congressional defense committees within 180 days of enactment and annually thereafter that the Government of Azerbaijan has taken meaningful steps to (1) uphold its commitments under the Joint Declaration, (2) completely withdraw all military forces from Armenia's sovereign territory, (3) unconditionally release all Armenian prisoners, (4) cease hostilities toward Armenia, and (5) recognize a right of return for ethnic Armenians to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh and commit to preserving Armenian cultural and religious sites there. If SecDef cannot certify, SecDef must, within 14 days of the certification deadline, conduct an immediate review of U.S. security assistance for Armenia to assess gaps in Armenia's deterrence and self-defense capabilities and submit a report to the committees that (1) assesses threats to Armenia, (2) evaluates historical and current U.S. security assistance including International Security Cooperation Programs, Foreign Military Financing, and International Military Education and Training, (3) identifies gaps in Armenia's defense needs for defense articles, services, and training, (4) summarizes immediate Department of Defense steps to increase security cooperation with Armenia, and (5) recommends further assistance to address shortfalls. If SecDef cannot certify, the President is prohibited after 14 days from the certification deadline from exercising the waiver authority under subsection (g) of the heading "Assistance for the independent states of the former Soviet Union" in title II of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2002 (P.L. 107-115; 22 U.S.C. 5812 note). The section defines "congressional defense committees" as the Armed Services and Appropriations Committees of the Senate and House.