“The US Embassy is aware of press reports of a visit to occupied Azerbaijani territories by California State Senator Joseph Simitian.
As a state senator, Simitian does not represent the United States Government”, Spokesman for the US embassy in Azerbaijan Keith Bean told APA.
He noted that under the doctrine of separation of powers between federal and state governments in the US Constitution, state officials act independently of the United States Government: “The United States Government had no control over his schedule, nor did Simitian consult with the Embassy about his travel plans.
Any travel that Simitian may have made to occupied Azerbaijani territories does not change United States policy. The United States - and no other country, including Armenia - does not recognize the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
On October 3, Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs included the senator’s name to the list of personas non grata. Simitian together with Californian senator visited Azerbaijan last month.
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