U.S. Azerbaijani diaspora expresses discontent with event hosting Nagorno-Karabakh separatists' leader in California

The Azerbaijani Diaspora in U.S. sent a letter to the California based World Affairs Council (WAC) to express their deep regrets and discontent for the event hosting Bako Sahakian by the WAC, next week.

According to the organization’s website, the conference called "Turmoil in the Caucasus - A Nations’ Right for Self Determination and Prospects for Regional Stability" will hold on November 19th.

“Bako Sahakian is not a "president" of any republic, but a leader of a separatist puppet regime installed by the Armenian authorities in occupied Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan Republic. He is travelling and getting a U.S. visa into his Armenian passport, not some “Artsakh – Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” nonexistent passport. No one, including U.S. government, recognize this regime, and everyone in the world recognizes Karabakh region as de jure part of Azerbaijan” – says US Azeris Network’s (USAN) letter to WAC Chairman Timor Rafig.

The Diaspora members also remind that, the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan was not fought as "liberation from Azerbaijan", but an outright aggression against sovereign Azerbaijan and its population, who were forcibly expelled from their homes before and throughout the war. It was a war resulting in ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, with Khojaly Massacre of 1992 being the most infamous.

“Azerbaijan is a strategic U.S. ally in the War on Terror and a reliable partner in energy sector, with an independent and flourishing economy several times the size and potential of Armenia. Meanwhile, Armenia and its separatist regime in Karabakh region of Azerbaijan experience arrested development, stalled economy, large emigration and high debts, all because the military occupation of a part of Azerbaijan taxes its economy”, - the letter says.

Diaspora calls on WAC to cancel the event as it is an insult to the memories of those massacred by the Armenian armed forces during the war, as well as not identify Mr Sahakyan as “president” of a non-existent pseudo-nation of “Artsakh - Nagorno-Karabakh Republic”:

“This event adds nothing to the conflict resolution efforts brokered by U.S. Government, and in its current form contradicts U.S. Government’s official policy”.


/APA/