196 Fulbright Scholars Call for Immediate End to the Bloodshed

Urge the U.S. to Secure a Lasting Peace in Nagorno-Karabakh

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, 196 Fulbright scholars, who have represented the United States in 57 countries spanning six continents, urged the United States to end the bloodshed and secure a lasting peace in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, reported the Armenian Assembly of America.

The letter makes it clear that “the people of Nagorno-Karabakh would not be safe if Azerbaijan ever won control of the region. This unfortunate fact is evinced by Azerbaijan’s record… and by events of recent weeks… [which] conclusively show that anti-Armenian ethnic cleansing is no longer a hypothetical danger; it is an unfolding reality. With the international community paralyzed, we are convinced that only U.S. support for self-determination in Nagorno-Karabakh can halt the ongoing atrocities.”

In addition, the letter emphasizes that inaction will harm U.S. national interests, sending “a global message that the United States is disinterested in the security of fledgling democracies such as Armenia — and that our nation is unable to meaningfully advocate for peace in the face of aggressive, destabilizing actions by aspiring regional powers.”

Citing the examples of South Sudan, Kosovo, and East Timor, and assessing the current crisis and its historic background, the Fulbright scholars call upon the United States to support self-determination for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.