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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution in support of Armenia Friday, amid fighting with neighboring Azerbaijan that has left hundreds of Armenian soldiers dead.
The resolution calls for President Joe Biden and members of Congress to take "meaningful punitive action" against the Azeri regime, including discontinuing the sale of weapons and other financial assistance to Azerbaijan.
Los Angeles County is home to the largest population of Armenians in the United States, with an estimated 214,628 living in the county, according to the 2011 American Community Survey.
A motion presented by Councilman Paul Krekorian accused Azerbaijan of committing "countless war crimes" and using cluster bombs and chemical weapons against civilians. It also called out a lack of meaningful response from the American government to the recent attacks, and for the United States to fully recognize Artsakh, a small republic formed by indigenous Armenians.
"It's especially important that this council continue to stay strong in support of a small, democratic nation that really should be an inspiration for people throughout the world," Krekorian said.
Davit Babayan, the foreign minister of Artsakh, addressed the council in the chamber Friday.
"Our state is facing existential threats," Babayan said. "But we're not only struggling for our future and for the lives of our children. We are also on the front line of the struggle between democracy and totalitarian regimes, between kind and evil. Our victory will be the victory of justice. It will be your victory too."