Expert: California Senate-adopted Resolution - AJR 32 is a response to Baku's blackmailing policy

The California Senate-adopted Resolution - AJR 32 encouraging Artsakh's (Nagorno Karabakh) continuing efforts to develop as a free and independent nation is the result of the tension along the Line of Contact between Karabakh and Azeri troops, Stepan Safaryan, Head of the Armenian Institute for International and Security Affairs, said at today's press conference in Yerevan. 

The California State Senate, led by incoming Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon, by an overwhelming majority of votes on Wednesday passed Assembly member Mike Gatto's resolution, AJR 32, encouraging Artsakh's (Nagorno Karabakh) continuing efforts to develop as a free and independent nation and formally calling upon the upon the President and Congress of the United States to support the self- determination and democratic independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

Safaryan thinks that Baku hurried to resolve the Karabakh conflict as it thought Armenia was in a weaker situation. "The Azeri authorities perfectly realize that following accession to the Eurasian Economic Union Armenia will get additional defense, especially given the gradually improving relations with the West", the expert said. He pointed out that Baku perceived the large Russian-Azeri deals as an indicator of deterioration of the Armenian-Russian relations. "The given resolution was a slap in the face of Baku, which started using ultimatums", he said.  

Safaryan also stressed that Baku also painfully perceives the possible warming in the Yerevan-Ankara relations given Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian's participation in Erdogan's swearing-in ceremony. "The Azeri public is concerned over this visit. No wonder that Turkish President Recep Erdogan will pay his first visit to Baku to show his friendly attitude to Azerbaijan", said Safaryan.

To note, Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian attended Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's swearing-in ceremony on 28 August. High-ranking delegations from several dozens of countries attended the ceremony. On the sidelines of the official reception, Minister Nalbandian and the newly elected president of Turkey had a brief conversation wherein the Armenian minister invited the president to Yerevan to attend the events timed to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide and handed over a letter of invitation.