The California State Assembly Rules Committee's vote in support of Nagorno-Karabakh's independence has proved that the US Armenian lobby is strong, member of Karabakh Committee Ashot Manucharyan told ArmInfo on Tuesday.
He said that this resolution may have been encouraged by the White House. "There would be no such resolution, if the White House had a drastically different position on the matter. So, this is a good step towards Nagorno-Karabakh's recognition. The same policy is being applied on the Armenian Genocide: some states have recognized it but the White House has not," Manucharyan said.
He believes that the Azeri authorities are trying to reduce the United State's influence on them. "Aliyev's demand that US Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick be recalled is part of the fight between the Azeri President's clan and the United States. On the other hand, the United States' decisions on Nagorno-Karabakh are part of its regional rivalry with Russia. The Americans are trying to leave the Russians no room for maneuver and are using Nagorno-Karabakh as a lever to pressure both Armenia and Azerbaijan," Manucharyan said.
The California State Assembly Rules Committee on Monday cast a historic vote supporting and encouraging Artsakh's (Nagorno-Karabakh) continuing efforts to develop as a free and independent nation, and urging the President and Congress of the United States to support the self- determination and democratic independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Earlier, Special Representative of the Azerbaijani President for Nagorno-Karabakh Araz Azmov blamed the U.S. Co- Chair James Warlick for close ties with the Armenian Diaspora in the United States and raised the issue of Warlick's possible recall.