LA City Council recognizes Karabakh’s independence

By Naira Hayrumyan-ArmeniaNow correspondent

In continuing its commitment to the right to self-determination of the people of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), the Los Angeles City Council unanimously adopted a resolution, introduced by Councilmember Paul Krekorian, recognizing the independence of Republic of Artsakh, reports Asbarez.com.

The resolution, in particular, says that the NKR “has for more than twenty years stayed true and faithful to its citizens by remaining independent while working to bring change and stability to the Caucasus region, and by holding free and fair elections and referendums that were widely declared as a model for the region.” It calls on the international community to recognize the NKR as a free and independent state.
It is not ruled out that next the entire state of California will recognize the NKR’s independence. Four American states – Rhode Island, Maine, Louisiana and Massachusetts – have already recognized the independence of the NKR and urged the Senate and the U.S. administration to follow suit.

During his visit to Armenia in December, U.S. Undersecretary of State Eric Rubin said in an interview with Shant TV that the resolutions of U.S. states do not affect the federal foreign policy. This is true – 44 out of 50 U.S. states have recognized the Armenian Genocide, but the administration has not yet done so.

However, analysts say that 2015 could become a year when the decisions by states will actually start having an impact on the country’s decision-making. U.S. President Barack Obama, who had promised to the ethnic Armenian voters to recognize the Armenian genocide, has so far failed to live up to his commitment. There is an opinion that he “holds the decision” for 2015. And along with it there could also be some decision on the Karabakh problem, which is part of not only the Armenian Question, but also the new regional configuration being prepared in the Greater Middle East region.

That such solutions are possible is also evidenced by the visit to Turkey by French President Francois Hollande, who, in fact, advanced the recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a condition for the development of Europe-Turkey relations. The press conference at which Hollande was speaking in Ankara was attended by the entire Turkish political elite and they had to listen silently to the French president’s statement that France has long recognized the genocide and is going to reconsider the draft law criminalizing its denial.

The Turkish elite does not conceal that it awaits certain steps from the West on the issue of the Armenian genocide and the Karabakh problem. There are opinions that Turkish diplomacy got activated at the end of last year exactly due to that and during his visit to Yerevan in December Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was trying to get ahead of the event and propose some agreement to Yerevan. But Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan refused to meet with the Turkish minister, thus, in fact, rejecting the proposal and hinting that one should await 2015.