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Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Under intense grilling today by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a mid-level Biden-Harris administration aide repeatedly dodged direct questions about the State Department’s failure to break Azerbaijan’s genocidal blockade of Artsakh – even refusing, on national security grounds, to answer Chairman Robert Menendez’s (D-NJ) straightforward query about Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s motives for starving 120,000 indigenous Christian Armenians, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Thursday’s hearing, titled “Assessing the Crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh,” was chaired by Sen. Menendez (D-NJ) and featured testimony by Acting Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasia Yuri Kim. The chair led members of the committee in direct, often confrontational questioning of the State Department refusal to hold Azerbaijan accountable or to provide urgently needed humanitarian aid to Artsakh.

Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Yuri Kim

“The signature moment – the defining exchange – of today’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee Artsakh hearing was Acting Assistant Secretary Yuri Kim hiding behind a transparently slippery appeal to state secrets to avoid answering a straightforward question about Aliyev’s obvious motives for blockading Artsakh,” stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “The Armenian American community joins Chairman Menendez in demanding answers about the State Department’s refusal to forcefully confront Azerbaijan’s genocidal ethnic cleansing of Artsakh.”

Chairman Menendez was emphatic about the urgency of the situation in Artsakh, stating, “As we sit here today with the lives of so many people hanging in the balance, time is of the essence. The former prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, recently wrote, ‘Starvation is the invisible genocide weapon. Without immediate dramatic change, this group of Armenians will be destroyed in a few weeks.’ That is how long we have. I would ask our witness to speak to what the [State] Department is doing, what the Biden administration is doing, and what the international community must do to avert this atrocity from being carried out before our own eyes.”

Acting Assistant Secretary Kim held to standard State Department refrains regarding the deteriorating situation in Artsakh.  “I want to be clear that we view the status quo as completely unacceptable,” stated Acting Assistant Secretary Kim, who went on to urge the immediate opening of the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor while also supporting Azerbaijan’s calls for the opening of additional routes that could undermine Artsakh’s security.

She praised Secretary Blinken’s Azerbaijan-Armenia mediation efforts, held under duress during Azerbaijan’s genocidal blockade. “Secretary Blinken has hosted three rounds of peace negotiations with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan since last November, and his leadership has yielded results. The sides have made progress on a peace agreement that could stabilize the region.”

She concluded her prepared remarks, noting: “The United States will not countenance any effort or action, short-term or long-term, to ethnically cleanse or commit other atrocities against the Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

However, when asked by Senator Menendez “why the United States is not or cannot do more to get humanitarian assistance [to Artsakh],” the Acting Assistant Secretary of State pointed to the passage of a single Russian Red Cross truck through the secondary Aghdam road to Artsakh, noting “that traffic is now flowing,” though she agreed with Senate leaders, “it is not enough.”

When asked by Senator Menendez, “Why do you think, despite its signed commitments and a ruling by the International Court of Justice to open the Lachin Corridor, that Aliyev is not opening the corridor?”, Acting Assistant Secretary Kim refused to answer publicly, inferring the matter is classified.

An “amazed” and clearly disappointed Senator Menendez offered his own answer. “He [President Aliyev] doesn’t want to open the corridor because he is in the process of trying to subjugate these people by starvation, or by the threat of starvation, and at the end of the day subject them to his will. That doesn’t have to be classified.”

Senators reissue calls for enforcing Section 907 restrictions on U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan; express concerns about U.S.-Azerbaijan relationship

Chairman Menendez was joined by Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in pressing the State Department to enforce Section 907 restrictions on U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)

“I have repeatedly expressed my deep opposition to waiving Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, allowing the United States to send assistance to his regime. This clearly alters the balance of military power between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Aliyev’s favor. I think Azerbaijan’s actions over the past three years have vindicated my skepticism,” stated Chairman Menendez.

“When you routinely give the waiver under Section 907, saying that Azerbaijan has demonstrated steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force against Armenia when that’s just not the case,” stated Sen. Cardin, “we lose credibility when that happens, when we aren’t prepared to take decisive steps based upon our values.”

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

Senator Van Hollen stressed that the waiver of Section 907 should not only be based on national security considerations, but as the law states, the impact of the waiver on the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process.  “Based on your statements from April, the State Department’s statements from April, it’s pretty clear that at least as of then, in your own words, in the State Department’s own words, it was undermining confidence in the peace process. And I don’t see anything that’s changed from that day to this.”

Acting Assistant Secretary Kim defended previous waivers of Section 907, noting that assistance has been used for counter-terrorism and other purposes.  She confirmed that President Biden’s 2022 waiver had expired in June. “We have not submitted a new waiver request yet because we are reviewing the situation very carefully,” stated Acting Assistant Secretary Kim.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT)

Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) was skeptical of the State Department’s effectiveness in addressing the Artsakh crisis. “This is obviously a crisis, an active difficult, question regarding the pressure points on Azerbaijan, but at this point I think you have to put all possible tools on the table because gentle diplomacy does not seem to be working,” stated Senator Murphy.  He also commented on Azerbaijan’s growing ties with Russia in the energy sector and asked, “So what are the implications for the U.S. and for Europe as Azerbaijan and Russia draw closer; what is the nature of that relationship, and did we make the wrong bet?”

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)

Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) noted that she shares “the concerns that have been expressed about Azerbaijan’s continued obstruction of the Lachin Corridor. In New Hampshire, we have a large Armenian diaspora, and we hear consistently from them about their concerns that Azerbaijan’s blockade has resulted in severe humanitarian suffering, that it should be lifted immediately.”

Other Senators participating in the hearing included Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member James Risch (R-ID) and Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Tim Kaine (D-VA).

In order to get updated of the latest situation in Armenia and
Garabagh, where the separatist forces are still located, it is no
longer necessary to search for the Armenian press. The Senate of
the United States of America has almost become the daily newspaper
of Armenia – giving fresh tiding; whatever the situation is inside,
the same atmosphere exists in the Senate. There is only one issue
that the voices from the Senate are more excited and more
aggressive than those from Yerevan. For example, Senator Robert or
simply Bob Menendez, a 69-year-old American politician, is so
excited every time he stands in front of the tribune talking about
Armenia that he almost drowns in his own sweat. Bob is so
pro-Armenian that he would almost give the whole world a gift for
Armenia. But Menendez has one thing missing; it’s that he himself
can’t understand anything from what he’s talking about. Indeed, the
old senate has become so emotional that sometimes he believes the
lies he tells himself.

Menendez’s commitment to Armenians is as strong as Caroline
Cox’s in the British Parliament. In other words, Armenian blood was
injected into the blood of both old armenophiles. The only
difference between the two characters is that Menendez is a bit
greedy, that is, avid for money. Bob Menendez also had an
interesting story in 2015 about his corruption issue in the court
just because of being apt to receive bribe. The senator, who is
easily lured by money or some gifts, repeatedly poked his nose into
an issue he did not know deeply due to the money invested in his
account from the Armenian lobbies. The fact that the senator, who
has never put a step in Garabagh and has a simple understanding of
the Caucasus region, presented false images to the Foreign
Relations Committee just for the sake of his pre-paid work, is a
clear proof of all that has been said. Although Menendez is a
lawyer, he does not know the secrets of his position. Of course,
without knowing the region, how can making claims from thousands of
kilometers away help lobbyists pouring millions into the pockets of
the corruptionists like Menendez? He just wins, because his mission
is just to care about his account but not Armenians even if he
vehemently shouts out words of sanctions. Who cares though? Because
even though he doesn’t know anything about Garabagh, he still knows
this business very well.

Thus, the situation in the United States does not directly
express Washington’s position towards Azerbaijan. On the contrary,
the United States tries to find a way out of such a situation at
many points. First of all, the United States will never want to
lose Azerbaijan, which is one of the most reliable allies of the
West, and cannot directly pressure Azerbaijan even on the most
critical issues related to Armenia. The final situation was
actually a momentary sabotage plan from the armenianized US Senate
aimed at the South Caucasus. Currently, the situation in the US
Senate is complicated. Because Yerevan and the forces working to
feed the separatists have put such a leash on the neck of people
like Menendez that neither the US State Department nor the White
House can speak out.

However, unlike them, Azerbaijan can always say its word.
Because the international laws written by the West are supreme for
Azerbaijan, even if they are worth the bribes they receive. No
matter how hard people like Robert Menendez try to impose tough
sanctions against Azerbaijan and its leadership, in the end,
Azerbaijan gets what it wants. And as it happened… Although the
Aghdam-Khankendi road was blocked by the separatists for a long
time, in the end it was not what they wanted, but what Azerbaijan
wanted.

First, they wanted to create an illusion, ostensibly there was a
starvation and humanitarian crisis in Khankendi. All Armenian and
pro-Armenian media outlets circulated the fabricated pictures and a
term of “genocide”, the one which Menendez tried to fake at the
tribune. Besides, the local residents said on social networks that
the leaders of the separatist gang took away products brought by
the ICRC or the Russian Peacekeepers to aggravate the situation
further. However, it did not work and first, the separatists were
obliged to step back and release extra meat products in Khankendi
on August 20. According to the so-called statement, on September 17
they were obliged to step back a second time against internal
pressure. The regime accepts that it is not always possible to
provide the daily 200 grams of bread available to a citizen under
the coupon system.

In general, there is only one option for separatist and
lobbyists in Garabagh, Yerevan, or the Senate: to take action
according to the demands and conditions of Azerbaijan. In fact, all
these processes could have been resolved a long time ago. It is a
fact that earlier, an agreement on the simultaneous opening of
these was reached on September 1. The separatists expediently
delayed this process.

Despite all their fruitless efforts, Azerbaijan’s principled
position once again prevailed.

Now there is a priority for them – to end the resistance, not to
rely on empty words from the US Senate and, finally, to take steps
for reintegration. Because this is the only way out for the
Armenian minority in Garabagh.

—

Elnur Enveroglu is AzerNews’ deputy editor-in-chief, follow him
on @ElnurMammadli1

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

In order to know the current situation in Armenia and Garabagh,
where the separatist forces are still located, it is no longer
necessary to search for the Armenian press. The Senate of the
United States of America has almost become the daily newspaper of
Armenia – giving fresh tiding; whatever the situation is inside,
the same atmosphere exists in the Senate. There is only one issue
that the voices from the Senate are more excited and more
aggressive than those from Yerevan. For example, Senator Robert or
Bob Menendez, a 69-year-old American politician, is so excited
every time he stands in front of the tribune talking about Armenia
that he almost drowns in his own sweat. Bob is so pro-Armenian that
he would almost give the whole world a gift for Armenia. But
Menendez has one thing missing; it’s that he himself can’t
understand anything from what he’s talking about. Indeed, the old
senate has become so emotional that sometimes he either believes
the lies he tells himself, or because he is not aware of it, he
goes out of his conscious for a moment.

Menendez’s commitment to Armenians is as strong as Caroline
Cox’s in the British Parliament. In other words, Armenian blood was
injected into the blood of both fake armenophiles. The only
difference between the two characters is that Menendez is a bit
greedy, that is, avid for money. Bob Menendez also had an
interesting story in 2015 about his corruption issue in the court
just because of his greed. The senator, who is easily lured by
money and bribes, repeatedly poked his nose into an issue he did
not know deeply due to the money invested in his account from the
Armenian diaspora and lobbies. The fact that the senator, who has
never touched a step in Garabagh and has a simple understanding of
the Caucasus, presented false images to the Foreign Relations
Committee just for the sake of his work, is a clear proof of all
that has been said. Although Menendez is a lawyer, he does not know
the secrets of his position. Of course, without knowing the region,
how can making claims from thousands of kilometers away help
lobbyists pouring millions into the pockets of the corruptionists
likes of Menendez? Menendez just wins, because his mission is just
to care about his account but not Armenians even if he vehemently
shouts out of some sanctions. Who cares though? Because even though
he doesn’t know anything about Garabagh, he still knows this
business very well.

Thus, the situation in the United States does not directly
express Washington’s position towards Azerbaijan. On the contrary,
the United States tries to find a way out of such a situation at
many points. First of all, the United States will never want to
lose Azerbaijan, which is one of the most reliable allies of the
West, and cannot directly pressure Azerbaijan even on the most
critical issues related to Armenia. The final situation was
actually a momentary sabotage plan from the armenianized US Senate
aimed at the South Caucasus. Currently, the situation in the US
Senate is complicated. Because Yerevan and the forces working to
feed the separatists have put such a leash on the neck of people
like Menendez that neither the US State Department nor the White
House can speak out.

However, unlike them, Azerbaijan can always say its word.
Because the international laws written by the West are supreme for
Azerbaijan, even if they are worth the bribes they receive. No
matter how hard people like Robert Menendez try to impose tough
sanctions against Azerbaijan and its leadership, in the end,
Azerbaijan gets what it wants. And as it happened… Although the
Aghdam-Khankendi road was blocked by the separatists for a long
time, in the end it was not what they wanted, but what Azerbaijan
wanted.

First, they wanted to create an illusion, ostensibly there was a
starvation and humanitarian crisis in Khankendi. All Armenian and
pro-Armenian media outlets circulated the fabricated pictures and a
term of “genocide”, the one which Menendez tried to fake at the
tribune. Besides, the local residents said on social networks that
the leaders of the separatist gang took away products brought by
the ICRC or the Russian Peacekeepers to aggravate the situation
further. However, it did not work and first, the separatists were
obliged to step back and release extra meat products in Khankendi
on August 20. According to the so-called statement, on September 17
they were obliged to step back a second time against internal
pressure. The regime accepts that it is not always possible to
provide the daily 200 grams of bread available to a citizen under
the coupon system.

In general, there is only one option for separatist and
lobbyists in Garabagh, Yerevan, or the Senate: to take action
according to the demands and conditions of Azerbaijan. In fact, all
these processes could have been resolved a long time ago. It is a
fact that earlier, an agreement on the simultaneous opening of
these was reached on September 1. The separatists expediently
delayed this process.

Despite all their fruitless efforts, Azerbaijan’s principled
position once again prevailed.

Now there is a priority for them – to end the resistance, not to
rely on empty words from the US Senate and, finally, to take steps
for reintegration. Because this is the only way out for the
Armenian minority in Garabagh.

11:10, 17 September 2023

NEW YORK

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili at the Türkevi Center, or Turkish House, in New York City on Sunday, where they discussed the importance of implementing the Middle Corridor.

Erdogan highlighted the swift operationalization of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway as a key priority, according to the Turkish Presidency.

The Trans-Caspian East-West-Middle Corridor Initiative, also known as “the Middle Corridor,” which begins in Türkiye and passes through the Caucasus region via Georgia and Azerbaijan, crosses the Caspian Sea, traverses Central Asia and reaches China, is one of the most important components of efforts to revive the ancient Silk Road, according to Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During their meeting, Erdogan also thanked Georgia for its support after the major earthquakes in Türkiye in February, said a statement from Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.

Erdogan also stressed the importance of closing schools run by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) in Georgia and freezing their assets and
congratulated the Georgian administration for the steps taken on this issue, according to the statement.

The two leaders also stressed the importance of increasing the trade volume between Türkiye and Georgia from $3 billion to $5 billion.

Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.

Tension persists on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and on the Artsakh contact line, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told news outlet “Azatutyun.”

“Basically, we have always said that in case of such unpredictable behavior from Azerbaijan, tension should always be expected, both in Nagorno-Karabakh and on the borders of the Republic of Armenia,” Mirzoyan emphasized, continuing. “We have seen several invasions into the territory of the Republic of Armenia […] and the occupation of the territories of Armenia, and also constant threats, hate speech, also towards Nagorno Karabakh, brought the population of Nagorno Karabakh to the brink of a humanitarian disaster, and yes, we always expect tension.

Now you are wondering what we are doing. We are actively working with international partners, I’m sure you are keeping track of everything, you see statements, calls and, of course, legal decisions of the International Court. We must continue to work like this until Azerbaijan enters the constructive field, because we want peace, and we want long-term peace. We want recognition of territorial integrity, but at the same time a mutual recognition, since you know that Azerbaijan must recognize our borders, there is such an agreement, but so far the President of Azerbaijan refuses to make public statements on this matter […],” Mirzoyan said.

When asked whether the main, fundamental differences remain after Yerevan and Baku again exchanged options for a peace treaty, he replied: “Differences remain. Of course, it would be wrong to say that there is no progress from edition to edition, the text is being polished, I once said that all points are important, but nevertheless, the text can be conditionally divided into vitally important and not so vitally important points. But, of course, there are still fundamental disagreements on the most vital, most significant issues. We must continue to negotiate, continue to work.”

Regarding the introduction of an international mechanism into the Baku-Stepanakert dialogue, the head of the RA Foreign Ministry said, “We are confident that all issues related to Nagorno-Karabakh should be discussed between representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh and official Baku, and everyone else in the world can only play the role of facilitators. Why an international mechanism? We think that even if this dialogue begins between official Baku and Stepanakert, still, left alone in the same room, Baku will try to conduct this conversation in the form of an ultimatum, dictate demands and conditions. I don’t think there will be a big, real and sincere dialogue if there is no international presence, and even I may doubt the continuity of these meetings and dialogue. And this is where some kind of international mechanism is needed.”

When asked whether this international mechanism is a “red line” for Yerevan, the FM replied, “Principles are a red line. We want real solutions to be given to real problems, and we are confident that a dialogue is the best way to do this. Why under international auspices? To make dialogue more effective, that’s all. The red lines are the final results.”

Regarding the map, according to Ararat Mirzoyan, “a dialogue is taking place that did not exist before, in an atmosphere of greater mutual understanding.” “We see positive signals, at the same time I want to say again that not only are the exchange of ideas and specific agreements not being implemented, but the leadership of Azerbaijan is either changing its mind or is currently playing some kind of a diplomatic game,” he concluded.

11:33, 17 September 2023

Ukrainian soldiers prepare to fire from the 2C22 Bohdan self-propelled howitzer toward Russian positions in eastern Ukraine.