Call on Armenia to comply with the law
On April 1, units of the Armenian army deployed to occupied Nagorno Karabakh region of Azerbaijan launched an offensive against Azerbaijan. According to an article by the Associated Press, the Armenian military fired mortars and large-caliber artillery shells at Azerbaijani-populated villages on the line between Armenian and Azeri forces.
The attack on Azerbaijani villages comes at a time when President Barack Obama convened leaders of 54 states, including Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents, in Washington D.C., to discuss the nuclear security threats. On the sidelines of his visit, the Azerbaijani president met with Obama, Vice Presdient Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry. Secretary Kerry appreciated Azerbaijan’s strategic role in contributing to the energy security of Europe and U.S.-Azerbaijan joined counter-terrorism efforts.
Kerry affirmed U.S. support for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, a core principle of international law. Obviously, Russia is angered by the U.S.-Azerbaijani alliance and Washington’s support to Azerbaijan's sovereignty. Hence, the Armenia's large-scale offensive.
The attack against Azerbaijan follows the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s statement that Armenia wants to “coordinate its foreign policy with Russia.”
The UN Security Council adopted four resolutions — 822, 853, 874, 884 — calling for withdrawal of Armenian forces, allowing the return of Azerbaijani refugees. Armenia has not complied. Please call on Armenia to implement the resolutions and comply with international law.
Meltem Deniz, San Luis Obispo
This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 8:49 PM with the headline "Call on Armenia to comply with the law."