A U.S.-based Armenian advocacy group has warned that a proposed U.S.-backed agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan may legitimize what it describes as genocidal actions by Azerbaijan. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has urged participants of the planned summit at the White House to seek a principled and lasting peace based on justice, accountability, the right of displaced Armenians to return, and the safeguarding of Armenia’s sovereignty.
In a statement, the ANCA's central office reported that the White House-supported agreement could effectively legitimize Azerbaijan’s acts of ethnic cleansing.
Commenting on the upcoming meeting, Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA, stated: “Armenians want real peace. Cleansing Artsakh is not peace. Legitimizing ethnic cleansing is not peace. Forgetting Christian holy sites is not peace. Abandoning hostages is not peace. Accepting the occupation of Armenian territory by Azerbaijan is not peace. A peace imposed through threats is not real peace.”
According to credible sources, a declaration or memorandum of understanding may be issued after the August 7–8 negotiations hosted by the White House, potentially involving Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The ANCA expressed concern that such a declaration may fail to address key priorities—particularly the right of Artsakh Armenians to return to their homes, the release of Armenian prisoners and hostages held by Azerbaijan, the international protection of Armenian Christian sites, and the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from Armenia’s sovereign territory.
Hamparian emphasized: “Any agreement that normalizes or legitimizes the violent displacement of 150,000 Artsakh Armenians is not progress. It’s a step away from peace and toward renewed Azerbaijani aggression. Real peace must be built on the right of return, the release of hostages, protection of Christian sites, withdrawal of foreign troops from Armenia, and accountability for war crimes. If Washington wishes to present itself as a peacemaker in the South Caucasus, it must ensure that this process is real—rooted in justice, not threats imposed on Armenia. Armenian Americans firmly oppose any agreement that trades justice for appeasement or endangers Armenian lives.”
The ANCA also reiterated its strong opposition to Azerbaijan’s proposal for the so-called “Zangezur Corridor,” calling it a direct threat to Armenia’s sovereignty. In a recent letter to U.S. congressional committees, the committee argued that such a corridor would compromise Armenia’s security and independence.
