AZERNEWS: Baku slams U.S. legislator’s proposal to recognize "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic"

By Sara Rajabova - Azer News

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev has slammed California State Legislature member Mike Gatto for his proposal for recognizing the independence of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state.

Gatto submitted the proposal to California State Legislature on January 6.

Abdullayev strongly criticized the Armenian lobby in the United States in this regard.

Commenting on the issue, Abdullayev told local media that the federal government, not the states determine the foreign policy of the United States.

Abdullayev said the job of lawmakers is to defend the laws, human rights, norms and principles of the international law.

He noted that Mike Gatto, who submitted the resolution, does not hide that he works together with the Armenian lobby, he has announced it on his website.

"Human values and human rights should be above all, they should not be sacrificed for personal and political interests. Mike Gatto's country supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. The U.S. is one of the members of the UN Security Council, which condemns the occupation of Azerbaijani territories," Abdullayev said.

He said Gatto turns a blind eye to all these facts and acts following the directives of the Armenian lobby, which shows that he is biased and pursues his own interests.

Gatto's resolution, which recognizes the occupied Nagorno Karabakh as a "sovereign state", refers to the rights of people to self-determination. However, it doesn't indicate the current regime of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" was established through the military occupation of the Azerbaijani territory and ethnic cleansing by the Armenian armed forces.

The Armenian media said Gatto works for closely with the Armenian organizations in the United States on legislative initiatives. He was also one of the authors of the resolution calling for the recognition of the so-called "Armenian genocide"...

You can read this complete article at AzerNews HERE

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Mike Gatto is the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the California State Assembly.  He represents Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake.  www.asm.ca.gov/gatto