Fresno County maintains stance on Karabakh despite Azeri lobby pressure

PanARMENIAN.Net - Fresno County's pledge of support for the territory of Nagorno Karabakh has sparked a little-known but certain international standoff, The Fresno Bee reported.

Azerbaijan is asking Fresno County supervisors to rescind their April resolution supporting Nagorno Karabakh's independence. The supervisors, however, have refused to budge on their position.

"We stand with our Armenian friends, both in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh ... We will not be muscled by a well-funded lobbying effort by the Azerbaijanis," said Supervisor Andreas Borgeas, who wrote the county's statement of support for Nagorno Karabakh.

The Fresno County resolution, passed April 23, maintains that residents of Nagorno Karabakh have elected to govern themselves and that their wishes should be respected.