Antony Blinken
Blinken believes Azerbaijan is preparing to invade Armenia - Politico
Baku/14.10.23/Turan: Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned a small group of lawmakers last week that his office believes it is likely that Azerbaijan may soon invade Armenia. This sensational news was reported the day before by the American publication "Politico", citing two congressmen.
In a telephone conversation on 3 October, the congressmen demanded from Blinken to take possible measures against Baku for the military operation in Karabakh.
According to the newspaper, Blinken said that the State Department will not renew the agreement allowing the US to provide military assistance to Baku (907 Amendment).
Blinken also said he "sees the possibility of an Azerbaijani invasion of southern Armenia in the coming weeks," the publication said.
Nevertheless, he expressed confidence in the ongoing diplomatic negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The conversation was reportedly attended by members of Congress known for their pro-Armenian views - Nancy Pelosi, Anna Ash, Frank Pallone and two other members of Congress.
The State Department declined to comment on the reports, but emphasised the department's commitment to Armenia's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" and to resolving the conflict through "direct negotiations".
"Polıtıco" calls "important" the US decision to reapply the 907th Amendment to the Freedom Support Act, which prohibits military assistance to Azerbaijan. This Amendment, introduced back in 1992, has been cancelled every year since 2002, but now it is back in force.
The publication also quoted Hikmet Hajiyev, Aliyev's foreign policy adviser, who denied that Azerbaijan had any claims on Armenian territory.
"Azerbaijan has restored what was legally, historically and morally ours" through the "anti-terrorist" operation and has no intention to invade Armenian territories, he added. -02D-
Politics
-
Members of the National Preventive Group under the Ombudwosman of Azerbaijan visited journalists and activists in the Baku pre-trial detention center-1, the press service of the office of the Commissioner for Human Rights reports.
-
Yesterday, Aliza Bin-Noun, Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, held talks at the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry and the presidential administration. "I held fruitful interministerial consultations with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Fariz Rzayev. Our strong bilateral relations have been thoroughly discussed in search of ways to further develop them.
-
The International Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has called for the release of Anar Mammadli and other political prisoners in Azerbaijan. The petition, signed by 30 civil society organizations belonging to the Observatory, calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to drop all charges against Anar Mammadli, stop the persecution of independent voices in the country and unconditionally release all political prisoners.
-
On 8 May, the Khatai district court of Baku did not satisfy the petition to transfer well-known human rights defender in the field of elections Anar Mammadli under house arrest. This was reported to Turan by his lawyer Elmar Suleymanov.
Leave a review