YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Congressman Brad Sherman urges the United States to send the following message to Azerbaijan that if the offensive continues, the U.S. is ready to recognize the independence of Artsakh.

“Four weeks on and Azerbaijan has violated TWO ceasefire agreements and continues its indiscriminate targeting of Artsakhians. The message from Azerbaijan is clear: violence, not negotiations, is the answer.

The U.S. must send a different message: if the offensive continues, we are prepared to recognize the Republic of Artsakh as an independent nation”, the Congressman said on Facebook.

On September 27 Azerbaijan, with the support of Turkey, launched a massive attack against the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), by using all its ammunition, targeting also the civilian infrastructures both in Artsakh and Armenia. There are confirmed reports that there are mercenaries in the Azerbaijani army brought from Syria by Turkey for fighting against the Armenian side.

On October 10 an agreement has been reached in Moscow between the Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers on cessation of hostilities in the NK conflict zone for humanitarian purposes. However, minutes after the agreement entered into force Azerbaijan again launched attacks against Artsakh and till now continues violating the humanitarian truce.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan