Baku, Azerbaijan, May 7
By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend:
The resolution adopted by the California State Assembly's Rules Committee has no legal force for Azerbaijan.
The First Deputy Chairman of the Milli Majlis (Parliament), Ziyafat Asgarov made remarks on the draft resolution calling on the U.S. Government to recognize the puppet regime called "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" introduced by Assemblyman Mike Gatto.
"It is absurd. Whatever decision is made on this question, it does not matter," - he said.
Now, the Armenian lobby has announced that the resolution will be considered on the Assembly floor on May 8. This is not a randomly chosen date. May 8 is the 22nd anniversary of the occupation of the city of Shusha - the cradle of Azerbaijani music and culture in Karabakh - by Armenia.
It should be noted that one of the members of the committee who adopted the draft resolution - Nazarian is an Armenian, and deputy chairman of the committee Wilk married an Armenian woman, and recently joined to the Armenian Gregorian Church.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Translated by S.I.
Edited by C.N.