MATTHEW BRYZA: THE VISIT OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS TO WASHINGTON AT SAME TIME IS NOT A COINCIDENCE
ArmInfo
2009-05-04 10:34:00
"The visit of Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers to Washington
at same time is not a coincidence", Adviser to US Secretary of State
on European and Euarsian Affairs OSCE Minsk Group US Co-Chair Matthew
Bryza told APA.
‘Secretary of State Clinton as well as the President have both
said they want to help bring about significant breakthrough in
Naqorno-Karabakh peace process. So we have both foreign ministers
here having separate meetings with our Secretary of State and we,
the Co-Chairs are preparing for the meetings of the presidents
of Azerbaijan and Armenia on May 7 in Prague’, the cochairman
said. M. Bryza refused to comment on the content of the Roadmap on
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations: ‘I am not going
to comment on the content of the bilateral agreement between two
countries. But what I can say is that there are two processes:
Nagorno-Karabakh, or Azerbaijani-Armenian relations, and a separate
one for Turkey-Armenian relations. They are two separate processes. In
fact, we anticipate they both will move forward simultaneously but at
different speeds. We may have more progress on one at one time, and
it may slow down at another time’. ‘What we have is a strong opinion
by the U.S. in this case, if Turkey- Armenian normalization moves
forward, by the way I am not talking about the opening of border,
border opening will happen later in the normalization process, but
as this normalization process between Turkey and Armenia begins and
goes forward, we believe we will see that the prospect for a solution
to Nagorny Karabakh conflict will improve’, Bryza said and added:
‘I don’t want to suggest that any document may be signed at that
particular meeting. The breakthrough, I am hoping for, does not
necessarily require the signing of any documents. We need presidents
to agree on a few remaining concepts of our Basic Principals, which
will constitute the breakthrough. I don’t think that there is any
need to anticipate any document to be signed at this point. The
breakthrough, when negotiating the peace agreement, can come in all
kind of forms. You can’t get anything on paper unless you worked it
out intellectually. The Madrid documents are the last version of the
Basic Principals is proposed by the Co-Chairs and they reflect several
years of negotiations. From our perspective, our suggestions, in the
form of Madrid Documents, remain on the table. We have been working
with the presidents and foreign ministers to improve that document and
its recommendations, and bring sides closer together. The foundation
of our work is the Madrid Document’.
Talking about USA-Washington relations the diplomat said that these
r elations are at the level of friendship and strategic partnership:
‘The relationship between Azerbaijan and the USA is a friendship and
strategic partnership, and we want to deepen it. We’ve got a whole
range of areas where we need to work. Our strategic partnership
has been based on security, energy, (where Azerbaijan is one of the
important countries anywhere in helping Europe to diversify it supplies
of natural gas and oil. Of course, the expansion of the political
and economic freedom within Azerbaijan is also important. All those
issues are of great importance and are interrelated, and we need to see
progress in all three areas at the same time. Right now we are making
a major push at the highest level to help to Azerbaijan to address the
most important problem, which is the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. We have a fair and balanced proposal on the table, which,
when implemented will led to return of territories, to return of IDP’s
and refugees, and which will bring a sense of security to Armenian
and other residents of NK and surrounding territories, and will have
a positive impact on stimulating economic growth and prosperity,
and lay a foundation for long-term peace’.