USA Trying Deprive Nagorno-Karabakh of Principal Guarantor Of Settlement
07.06.2008,
02:31
By equating the state of democracy in Armenia and Azerbaijan, the US Department of State is trying to deprive Nagorno-Karabakh of the principal guarantor of settlement, Armen Ashotyan, Board member, Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), stated at the Novosti
YEREVAN, June 6. /ARKA/. By equating the state of democracy in Armenia and Azerbaijan, the US Department of State is trying to deprive Nagorno-Karabakh of the principal guarantor of settlement, Armen Ashotyan, Board member, Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), stated at the Novosti international press center, commenting on the US Department of State’s report on human rights issued on May 23.
According to the US Department of State, the February presidential election in Armenia were held with certain faults, particularly advantageous positions of the Establishment candidate, election bribes, intimidation, violence against opposition members of election commissions.
“The report by US Department of State actually equates the democratic situation in Armenia with that in Azerbaijan, which makes the diplomatic and political implication obvious. It is an attempt to strip the Armenian side of the chance of using the factor of democracy in the discussions of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process,” Ashotyan said.
The parliamentarian pointed out that one of the arguments put forward by the Armenian side is that Nagorno-Karabakh has a higher-level democratic system “that another state laying claims to extebnding its power to these territories.”
“This is one of the diplomatic tasks accomplished by means of the report, as it is an attempt to deprive the NKR of the second principal guarantor of settlement after the army,” Ashotyan said.
He pointed out that it was not just to please official Baku that Armenia and Azerbaijan were equated.
“Azerbaijan expects certain dividends from the USA for its oil resources, particularly rights to the NKR,” Ashotyan said.
According to him, the reason for this approach is the neutralization of Baku’s possible influence on Washington’s stance and the USA’s exclusive interests in the region. Ashotyan expressed the opinion that Armenia’s authorities will properly respond to the report at both the diplomatic and top levels.
Since 1992, negotiations for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have been conducted within the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the USA, Russia and France.–0—
According to the US Department of State, the February presidential election in Armenia were held with certain faults, particularly advantageous positions of the Establishment candidate, election bribes, intimidation, violence against opposition members of election commissions.
“The report by US Department of State actually equates the democratic situation in Armenia with that in Azerbaijan, which makes the diplomatic and political implication obvious. It is an attempt to strip the Armenian side of the chance of using the factor of democracy in the discussions of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process,” Ashotyan said.
The parliamentarian pointed out that one of the arguments put forward by the Armenian side is that Nagorno-Karabakh has a higher-level democratic system “that another state laying claims to extebnding its power to these territories.”
“This is one of the diplomatic tasks accomplished by means of the report, as it is an attempt to deprive the NKR of the second principal guarantor of settlement after the army,” Ashotyan said.
He pointed out that it was not just to please official Baku that Armenia and Azerbaijan were equated.
“Azerbaijan expects certain dividends from the USA for its oil resources, particularly rights to the NKR,” Ashotyan said.
According to him, the reason for this approach is the neutralization of Baku’s possible influence on Washington’s stance and the USA’s exclusive interests in the region. Ashotyan expressed the opinion that Armenia’s authorities will properly respond to the report at both the diplomatic and top levels.
Since 1992, negotiations for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have been conducted within the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the USA, Russia and France.–0—
