Karabakh cannot be returned to Azerbaijan – US envoy

Karabakh cannot be returned to Azerbaijan – US envoy

Mediamax news agency
25 Feb 05

YEREVAN

The Armenian National Committee of San Francisco has reported that the
US ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, has stated that despite the
USA’s policy of recognizing the territorial integrity of states,
“everybody understands that Karabakh cannot be returned to Azerbaijan,
because this will be a disastrous step”.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of the Armenian community
in San Francisco on 19 February, John Evans said: “If Yerevan and Baku
agree on the settlement, I think that everybody will be ready to back
them,” the Armenian National Committee told Mediamax news agency
today. “If they reach an agreement, we cannot change that,” the
American diplomat said.

Commenting on the sensational statement by the press secretary of the
Azerbaijani Defence Ministry, Ramiz Malikov, that “in 25 years Armenia
will no longer be on the map”, John Evans described it as “outrageous”
and stated that “it evoked all the bad memories of the Armenians”.