Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

President of the United States

Washington, DC

January 18, 2023

Dear Mr. President,

I am reaching out to you with an important issue that requires your personal attention and intervention.

We, American citizens of Azerbaijani heritage are deeply concerned and frustrated by the lies and misinformation against the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, with the support of the Russian Federation ended up with the occupation 20% of internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan. 750 thousand ethnic Azerbaijanis were ethnically cleansed, thousands of civilians, including children, women and elderly were brutally killed and were subjected to torture. On February 26, 1992, the Armed Forces of Armenia along with the 366 motorized infantry regiment of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation committed genocide against Azerbaijanis in the city of the Khojaly. Just in one night 613 civilians, including 106 women and 63 children, fleeing from the Armenian butchers were killed in cold blood and 1275 elderly, children and women were captured and subjected to torture and humiliation. The war crimes of the Armenian state have been well-documented. Although 10 countries, including a number of U.S. states recognized and commemorated this genocide and crime against humanity, to this day there is no well-deserved attention to this tragic event, unlike any false "human tragedies" and "outcry" created by Armenia.

Despite 4 UN Security Council Resolutions (#822, #853, #874 and #884) demanding immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of all occupying Armenian forces from Azerbaijani territories, Armenia was never made accountable for its actions. Instead, it repeatedly resorted to various ground provocations and had the audacity to toughen its rhetoric at the highest level by threatening to unleash "a new war for new territories" and hit major cities and civilian infrastructure in Azerbaijan with ballistic missiles while declaring the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan as part of Armenia. All this was happening while Armenia enjoyed unjustified impunity from the international community.

Another act of aggression by Armenia on September 27, 2020, became a logical consequence of impunity they enjoyed for more than 30 years. 44 days war that started on September 27 ended up with the provision of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as a result of which Trilateral Statement was signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia on November 10, 2020.

Although Azerbaijan has fulfilled all its obligations taken by Trilateral Statement and invested billions of dollars to reconstruction projects in the liberated territories in last 2 years, Armenia seems reluctant to take care of its obligations. Specifically, Armenia is not withdrawing its military forces from the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan, refuses to provide guarantees the safety of transport links between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and misuses Lachin corridor.

Since August 2022, more than 2,700 landmines were discovered in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. These landmines were manufactured by Armenia in 2021 and the Lachin Corridor was illegally used to transport and deploy weapons and land mines in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan.

Lachin corridor in its entirety is a sovereign territory of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan agreed on the usage of this corridor solely for humanitarian purposes under Paragraph 6 of the Trilateral Statement and even commissioned a newly built road for Armenian residents in less than two years. However, Armenia is actively misuses the Lachin corridor for further strengthening its military presence in the region, rotation of Armenia's armed formations that have not been withdrawn from the territory of Armenia in violation of the Paragraph 4 of the Trilateral Statement. Recently, 14 citizens of Iran illegally crossed Lachin corridor. The fact is well-documented by Azerbaijan. Evidence in this respect, including by third independent sources, western journalists are all publicly available.

Azerbaijan honored all its commitments in good faith, while Armenia has been misusing Lachin corridor for illegal activities since the first day. Armenia also failed to open all transport communications in the region in flagrant violation of Paragraph 9 of the Trilateral Statement.

Biased and prejudiced actions and statements, feeding separatism in the territory of Azerbaijan, aired by members of the U.S. Armenian Diaspora and certain U.S. legislators hinder an already fragile peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia which has an opportunity to bring most desired permanent peace and stability to the South Caucasus. Such statements and actions only breed hostility and animosity when they should be helping to foster dialogue between the Azerbaijani authorities and local ethnic Armenians, who are so deserving of peace and healthy reintegration.

Promotion and encouragement of such a dialogue is needed, at least, for the benefit of those ordinary residents of Armenian origin. Their security, human rights, including their cultural, religious or linguistic rights are under the guarantee of the Government of Azerbaijan in accordance with our Constitution and relevant international obligations. Azerbaijan is the most interested party in such a dialogue for the soonest finalization of the reintegration process. We call you and your government to support and encourage such a dialogue and refrain from any action that would harm delicate peace process in the region.

Both nations, but mostly Azerbaijanis suffered greatly from the conflict. Mr. President, we ask for your urgent attention to this most important issue. It’s time to give peace a chance, peace that is long overdue, not only for the sake of development and prosperity in Azerbaijan and Armenia, but the entire region at-large.

Respectfully,

Azerbaijan Society of America