US Senate hearings: Menendez plotting new attack on Azerbaijan Will the DOS and the White House join the pro-Armenian senator?

Armenian propagandists are turning themselves inside out in order to consolidate the fiction of a "humanitarian crisis in Garabagh" in the minds of the international community. Of course, the most favourable platform for this task is the American one, where politicians funded by the Armenian Diaspora are ready to accept and sign anything in support of the "long-time sufferers".

Last week the US Congress held hearings on the notorious "crisis in Garabagh", and Ocampo, a former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, known for his strongly pro-Armenian stance, accused Azerbaijan of carrying out "genocide" in Garabagh and called on the US to "prevent this genocide". Today the Senate Foreign Relations Committee also intends to hold a hearing "to assess the crisis in Garabagh" with the participation of the US State Department's Senior Adviser for Caucasus Negotiations Louis Bono and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim. As is well known, there are many zealous defenders of Armenian separatism in the American Senate, the main one being Robert Menendez, the chairman of this very international committee. A month ago, he and California Senator Alex Padilla demanded that the UN Security Council adopt a resolution obliging Azerbaijan to immediately lift the "blockade of Garabagh". Although the efforts of pro-Armenian propagandists have not yielded the expected results, they are trying to continue spreading blatant lies about the "blockade" and the "humanitarian catastrophe".

It is worth noting, however, that official Washington has so far distanced itself from the hearings in Congress and the Senate, trying to maintain at least the appearance of a neutral mediator in the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Among other things, the Biden administration maintains a relatively balanced position on the Lachin road. In a recent telephone conversation between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, issues related to the opening of the Aghdam-Khankendi and Lachin-Khankendi roads were discussed. The head of the Azerbaijani state clearly and reasonably informed the American side of the position of our country, explaining that along with the launch of the Aghdam-Khankendi road, the Lachin-Khankendi road may be opened, where, however, all the rules of customs and border regimes of Azerbaijan will be compulsorily observed.

Later, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov voiced a similar position in a telephone conversation with Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim. After that, the American diplomat wrote on her Twitter page that the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides should work together to "simultaneously open" the Lachin road and other alternative routes "for the delivery of humanitarian goods to Garabagh". And this week Azerbaijan actually achieved another strategic goal: a Russian cargo travelled along the Aghdam-Khankendi road, marking its opening. Thus Baku reacted to the recommendation of the Americans, but followed its own plan - it was the Aghdam-Khankendi road that started operating first. Nevertheless, Baku now has the right to expect that Washington will put pressure on the Armenian side to solve the issue of reintegration of Garabagh Armenians into Azerbaijani society.

Baku has appropriate reasons for this. Firstly, it is obvious not only for Azerbaijan but also for the entire international community that unaddressed appeals for the implementation of peace initiatives do not work in the case of Armenia. With its destructive policy, official Yerevan has left no doubt that it understands only the language of force, whether military, political, or ideological.

Secondly, Azerbaijan actually proved the single option of the Aghdam route by forcing the illegal regime in Garabagh to accept today's realities.

Thirdly, a number of influential media outlets around the world are exposing political manipulations and lies about the "humanitarian catastrophe of the Armenians of Garabagh" that are being assiduously disseminated around the world by Armenian lobbyists. As an example of this, one can cite an article by US Navy veteran and political consultant Raul Contreras in Imperial Valley Press, which refutes the false allegations against Azerbaijan by American journalist Nicholas Kristoff.

This is just one example of the international community finally beginning to distinguish between aggressor and victim. As for the upcoming hearings in the US Senate today, the State Department representatives are likely to advocate the simultaneous opening of the Lachin and Aghdam transport routes. Just two days ago, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also called for the simultaneous opening of the Lachin and Aghdam roads.

"We note that humanitarian supplies are located near the Lachin and Aghdam routes, and we reiterate our call for the immediate and simultaneous opening of both corridors to ensure the delivery of critically needed humanitarian supplies to the men, women, and children in Nagorno-Karabakh," the Secretary of State said.

Azerbaijan is not against this proposal. At the level of the Foreign Ministry, it was stated that Baku had agreed to the simultaneous use of these two roads through the mediation of the ICRC and that the obstacle to the implementation of this agreement is the regime created by Armenia in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan. Earlier, the possibility of simultaneous opening of the Lachin and Aghdam roads was not ruled out by presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev, whose words were quoted by Reuters. "Both roads - the Lachin and Aghdam roads - could be opened at the same time for cargo deliveries within the framework of a pilot scheme that could defuse tensions and stimulate lengthy peace talks between Baku and Yerevan," said Hajiyev.

And one more important nuance: during the briefing, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that the US does not recognise the so-called "presidential elections" in Garabagh, which, of course, is a fundamentally important moment for Baku.

"As we have said before, we do not recognize Garabagh as an 'independent' and 'sovereign state' and therefore do not recognize the results of the so-called 'presidential elections' that have been announced in the last few days," Miller said, adding that the United States will continue to strongly support the efforts of Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve outstanding issues through direct dialogue.

However, in addition to the resolute statements of the American side about the need for a bilateral dialogue, Baku also expects from its overseas partner the use of specific tools of influence on Yerevan, with the understanding that peace in the region will not come soon by other methods...