60A - RESO DENOUNCING ATTACKS ON ARTSAKH

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Resolution Denouncing the Attacks on Artsakh by Azerbaijan November 17, 2020 Page 2 government, (a presidential democracy with a unicameral legislature), it relies on the government of Armenia and functions as a part of Armenia. • Azerbaijan rejects Nagorno-Karabakh's independence. • In 1992, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe formed the Minsk Group, with Russia, France and the U.S. in charge of finding a diplomatic solution in Nagorno- Karabakh. Negotiations halted in 2011. 1994-2020 99.7% of Nagorno-Karabakh's current population (total population is approx.. 150,000) are ethnic Armenians, with Armenian as the primary spoken language. The religion in Nagorno- Karabakh is majority -Christian (mostly affiliated with the Armenian Apostolic Church). A ceasefire had been in place in the region since 1994, although armed conflicts involving Armenia and Azerbaijan have taken place in and around Nagorno-Karabakh from time to time (notably, an escalation took place in 2016, where approximately 350 people died). Today: 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict • According to the Office of the President of the Republic of Artsakh, hostilities commenced when Azerbaijani armed forces launched artillery and aerial strikes against civilian settlements, including the capital, Stepanakert. • Civilian and military casualties have been high, officially in the hundreds and possibly in the low thousands, with casualty claims not having been independently verified. Civilian areas, including major cities, have been hit, including Azerbaijan's second-largest city, Ganja, and the region's capital, Stepanakert, with many buildings and homes destroyed. • Representatives of countries, as well as the United Nations, are calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The attached resolution (Exhibit 1), if approved, would formally express the City Council's sentiment on this matter. Specifically, the resolution would express the following: • That the City Council calls upon President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to condemn Azerbaijan unequivocally for its latest violation of the ceasefire and demands an immediate and permanent cessation of all Azeri hostile action. • That the City Council affirms the rights of all citizens in the Republic of Artsakh, supports the right to self-determination and independence of the Artaskh Republic, and respectfully urges the President and Congress of the United States to do the same. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. Submitted By: Kristine Ridge, City Manager Exhibit: 1. Resolution 60A-2