“We have received alarming reports of violence against civilians. The reports emphasize again how necessary it is to have independent eyes in Nagorno-Karabakh now,” USAID Director Samantha Power said at a press conference in Kornidzor, referring to the question of whether they believe Azerbaijan’s claims that Nagorno-Karabakh was targeted only military facilities.
In Goris, Samantha Power also got acquainted with resettling displaced Artsakh residents. Power announced once again that she came to Armenia on the instructions of the US President. “President Biden and I attach great importance to the urgency of what the consequences of what happened should be.
And that’s why I’m here to get acquainted with the situation and the facts on the spot, to listen to the witnesses’ testimonies, and to consult with the authorities of the region, including the authorities of Armenia,” she said.
Read also
Regarding whether it is not time for the international community to resort to harsher measures, including sanctions against Azerbaijan, Samantha Power said that after arriving in the US, she will present the entire reality to the US President and administration.
“I am convinced that they will be able to choose the option that will be implemented from the considered options. At the moment, several options of the steps to be taken are being actively considered,” Power said, stating that it was mainly to present the situation in which the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh found themselves difficult. The latter told the American official that they would like to return to their homes to visit their relatives’ graves.
When asked if what is happening at the moment can be assessed as ethnic cleansing, Samantha Power said: “For us, the international community must have the opportunity to be in Nagorno-Karabakh because, at the moment, there are still tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians living there in challenging conditions.
We are already hearing stories from the witnesses about violence, deprivation, and fear of the Azerbaijani authorities. We focus on supporting the most vulnerable so that they can get out safely if they want to.”
Armen DAVTYAN
