ArmInfo. The newly elected chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Robert Menendez, at a meeting with the candidate for the post of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, voiced a number of issues, including those related to relations between the US and Turkey, the Karabakh conflict and the White House's recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire.
As the press service of the American Bureau "Hay Dat" told ArmInfo, Senator Menendez drew attention to Turkey's destructive position in almost all adjacent regions, especially in Syria, Libya, in the exclusive Greek economic zone and sovereign waters of Cyprus. Menendez drew particular attention to the recent war in Karabakh, condemning the supply of weapons by Turkey to Azerbaijan and incitement to hostilities. At the same time, the senator asked Blinken whether the Biden administration is looking at Turkey with "open eyes", to which the latter replied: "We are looking with" open eyes. "Turkey is an ally, which, as you said, does not act in many ways as an ally should This is a very serious challenge for us, we look at it very clearly>.
Menendez also expressed hope that the White House administration will recognize the Armenian Genocide, noting how difficult it is for US ambassadors to visit the Armenian Genocide memorial without uttering the word genocide.
During the questions and answers, a wide range of issues was discussed, including the imposition of sanctions in connection with the acquisition by Turkey from the Russian Federation of the S-400 air defense system, the inclusion in the Magnitsky list of leaders involved in corruption scandals and crimes against humanity.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) stressed that they will continue to work to resolve their political priorities in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the recognition of the genocide, the imposition of sanctions against the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem and an increase in US assistance to Armenia