On April 1, units of the Armenian army deployed to occupied Nagorno Karabakh region of Azerbaijan launched an offensive against Azerbaijan.
According to the Associated Press, the Armenian military fired mortars and large-caliber artillery shells at Azerbaijani-populated villages on the line of contact between Armenian and Azeri forces.
The attack on Azerbaijani villages comes at a time when President Obama convened leaders of 54 states, including Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents, in Washington to discuss the nuclear security threat. On the sidelines of his visit, the Azerbaijani president met with Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry.
Kerry appreciated Azerbaijan’s strategic role in its contributions to the energy security of Europe and US-Azerbaijan joined counter-terrorism efforts.
Kerry affirmed U.S. support for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, a core principle of international law violated by Armenia since 1994. Obviously, Russia is angered by US-Azerbaijani strategic alliance and Washington’s support to Azerbaijan’s sovereignty. Hence the Armenia’s large scale offensive. The attack against Azerbaijan follows the explicitly-affirmed doctrine of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s that Armenia will “coordinate its foreign policy with Russia.”
The United Nations Security Council adopted four resolutions calling for immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces, allowing the return of Azerbaijani refugees. Armenia is yet to comply.
Please call on Armenia to implement the UN resolutions and comply with norms of international law.
Ramil Maharramov
Amherst