Nicolas Aznavour urges Macron to recognize Karabakh

PanARMENIAN.Net - The co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Aznavour Foundation, Nicolas Aznavour, has called on French President Emmanuel Macron to recognize Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) as a sovereign country.

In a letter published on Tuesday, October 6, Aznavour – the son of legendary French-Armenian crooner Charles Aznavour – said the past few days have been filled with pain and concern for all Armenian people.

"I turn to you once again because you are a man and a leader who is not afraid to speak the truth and who puts human values at the forefront. You have proven that to us throughout your mandate. In your speeches you reminded Armenians and the world that Armenia is not alone in the face of its tormentors. You have courageously denounced the hypocrisy and cynicism of Turkey and its complicity in the crimes of Baku. The use of Syrian jihadists in this conflict once again reveals the perversity of these governments and represents a terrorist threat that Turkey is bringing to the gates of Europe and Russia. Baku indiscriminately targets civilians and journalists, using banned cluster ammunition, violating all standards of international law," the letter reads.

"Your support and that of the French people is essential to us. I call on you to act and save our people by recognizing the Republic of Artsakh as a sovereign country protected by the same international law as its peers, to economically sanction Azerbaijan and Turkey for their crimes and to put pressure on the UN to bring peace to the region.

"I believe in you and I hope with all my heart that our humanist and democratic values will triumph in the face of these obscene dictatorships which are only motivated by greed and thirst for power. Armenia is a bastion of civilization that must be defended."

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey, launched a large-scale offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. International and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of civilian settlements.

Donations can be made to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, which has launched a fundraising campaign to support Karabakh amid Azerbaijan's aggression.