An Artsakh police vehicle was ambushed by Azerbaijani forces on Mar. 5

Schiff Calls on State Department to Condemn Attack

Following an ambush by Azerbaijani forces on an Artsakh police vehicle on Sunday that killed three Artsakh officers, the State Department not only did not condemn Baku for its brazen actions, but continued to insist on Armenia-Azerbaijan dialogue.

Meanwhile, Congressman Adam Schiff said the “deliberate murder” of the Artsakh police officers warrants U.S. sanctions against Baku and urged the State Department and the Biden Administration to condemn the deadly violence.

“The attack by Azerbaijani forces that killed 3 Artsakh police officers is another act of deliberate murder and furthers the need for sanctions against Azerbaijan for their violations of human rights and the right to self-determination for the people of Artsakh,” Schiff said in a statement issued Monday.

“This latest violence comes during the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade of the Lachin corridor, leaving 120,000 individuals in dire conditions. The U.S. must condemn Azerbaijan’s assaults on Artsakh and hold the Aliyev regime accountable. I urge the U.S. State Department and the Biden Administration to use all diplomatic channels available to address the increased instability in the region and ensure that the security and sovereignty of Artsakh is respected,” Schiff added.

The State Department reacted to Sunday’s deadly attack by saying that there can be no military solution to the conflict and that the use of force to resolve disputes is never acceptable.

“We’re following reports of a shooting incident on March 5th inside Nagorno-Karabakh which killed five individuals, we understand.  We offer our condolences to the families of those injured and killed.  There can be no military solution to conflict, and the use of force to resolve disputes is never acceptable,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told a press briefing on Monday. 

“The only way to sustain peace is at the negotiating table and the use of force undermines negotiations.  Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Lou Bono is in the region to stress the only way forward is through direct dialogue and diplomacy.  And as the Secretary has emphasized, the United States is committed to Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations,” Price added.

Asked whether the ambush will have implications on the negotiation process, Price added: “The implication – the clearest implication for us is the imperative of continued direct dialogue and discussion between the parties’ themselves.  This is imperative on the part of the parties.”

“We have played the role of partner to both countries, facilitating on a trilateral basis engagement between the foreign ministers and at the leader level as well.  We are prepared – whether bilaterally, trilaterally, multilaterally – to continue to be a partner in furtherance of efforts to secure a lasting peace,” added Price.

The State Department spokesperson also added that the U.S. is not competing with Russia for a mediation role in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process. In fact, Price said, the U.S. is not a mediator, which calls into question its role as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair. Price did not elaborate on this during the press briefing on Monday.

“We are not going to put ourselves against any other offer of mediation, and in fact we’re not a mediator.  We are a partner to the two countries.  I think we have demonstrated both in word and in deed the nature of our relationship with the two countries, our ability to bring the two countries together, our willingness and readiness to help bring about additional progress in relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Price said when asked whether Western mediation is a better option given that Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently called on the parties to stick to Moscow’s efforts.

“We are not doing this as a means by which to compete with Moscow.  We are doing this in an effort to bring about the settlement and resolution of a longstanding dispute between these two countries, and unfortunately a dispute that has consistently taken lives, just as it did on March 5th,” Price said, referring to the Azerbaijani ambush of Artsakh police officers.

“Our interest here is in peace and security.  It’s in the interests of the people of Armenia and Azerbaijan as well,” Price added.