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Pompeo hopes Armenia can 'defend' itself from Azerbaijan

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also said that Turkey was increasing the risk of more bloodshed.
Armenian-Americans hold signs and flags as they protest against the conflict between Azerbaijan and the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh and Turkey's support for Azerbaijan in front of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 15, 2020. - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voiced hope Thursday that Armenia would "defend" itself against Azerbaijan, appearing to show sympathy to one side over the fierce clashes. (Photo by Nicholas Kamm / AFP) (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that he hoped Armenia could "defend" itself against Azerbaijan in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, adding that Turkey’s role had increased the risk of further violence. 

The fighting between the two former Soviet republics over the contested territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but run by ethnic Armenians, has left more than 500 dead since late September. 

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