Armenia expecting US to sanctions Baku over Nagorno-Karabakh conlict
Armenia and Azerbaijan's border clashes have escalated to the point that Yerevan is expecting Washington to sanction Baku.
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US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrives at the international airport outside of Yerevan, Armenia, September 17 (AP Photo)
Armenia expects the United States to adopt sanctions against Azerbaijan to stop its expansionism, Armenian National Assembly speaker Alen Simonyan said on Sunday in light of the latest escalations in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and after a meeting with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"During the meeting, we spoke about the military aggression by Azerbaijan on September 13, against the sovereign territory of Armenia," Simonyan revealed.
"I informed her that the Azerbaijani armed forces severely bombed not only the border positions of Armenia but also numerous settlements and civilian infrastructure, as a consequence of which there are many human losses," he added.
Pelosi arrived in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, on Saturday for her first visit to the Caucasian country, as per the US embassy.
"US Congressional Delegation led by Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi arrived in Yerevan for her first visit to Armenia. Welcome, Madam Speaker!" Washington's diplomatic mission said.
Any US actions are important for Armenia, he stressed, noting that serious sanctions could become an effective lever that could curb Baku's expansionist actions.
The Armenian politician accused Baku of taking advantage of the fact that the international community is focused on Ukraine.
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a 22-day war over the mountainous region in the fall of 2020. It ended in a Russia-brokered peace deal that saw the Armenian-dominated self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh cede parts of Nagorno-Karabakh under its control to Azerbaijan.
"We are grateful to the United States for the agreement of the fragile ceasefire reached by their mediation on September 14. We are thankful also to the US power, particularly the members of the Congress for the targeted assessment of the war actions of Azerbaijan," Simonyan said.
The two countries agreed to a complete ceasefire and exchange of prisoners, while Russia deployed peacekeepers to the region.
However, clashes erupt every now and then between both sides despite the Russian-backed ceasefire agreement. Last month, tensions erupted over Nagorno-Karabakh as three soldiers were killed and Azerbaijan said it had taken control of several strategic heights in the disputed region.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a US congressional delegation are on a visit to Yerevan from September 17 to 19.
It was reported that Pelosi will meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan, and other senior officials to discuss bilateral relations as well as the region's current security situation, in light of the spike in violence this week.
