Armenian National Committee of America
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PRESS RELEASE
January 18, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ANCA CRITICIZES STATE DEPARTMENT STATEMENT DESCRIBING THE
NAGORNO KARABAGH REPUBLIC AS “CRIMINAL SECESSIONISTS”

— Incendiary Remarks by Assistant Secretary of
State Jones Undermine the Karabagh Peace Process

WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
today condemned highly incendiary statements by U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State Elizabeth Jones referring to Nagorno Karabagh’s
leaders as “criminal secessionists” and calling for their removal
from power. The statement came as part of a January 13th digital
video-conference with journalists in U.S. Embassies in Moscow, Rome
and Bratislava.

“Assistant Secretary Jones’s comments seriously weaken the
foundation of our role – as Americans – as impartial mediators of
the Nagorno Karabagh conflict,” said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian.
“Her remarks unfairly attack the right of the people of Nagorno
Karabagh to express themselves democratically through elections.
They also prejudice the outcome of the OSCE negotiations,
materially compromising the search for peace, and – very
significantly – embolden the growing chorus in the Azerbaijan
government that are calling for renewed aggression against Nagorno
Karabagh.”

“The Armenian American community is shocked and outraged at
Assistant Secretary Jones’ remarks. We condemn her statements as
counter to the long-standing U.S. policy of helping the parties
reach a negotiated settlement, and call on the Administration to
begin repairing this damage by immediately and clearly renouncing
these patently unfair and demonstrably inaccurate remarks,” said
Hachikian.

During the video conference, Jones, in discussing U.S. bi-lateral
relations with Russia, called for increased engagement in resolving
regional conflicts in the former Soviet Union, stating:

“It is in Russia’s interest for these areas, for Transnistria,
Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh, for these areas to be
stable, for corruption to end there, for the criminal secessionists
who rule there to be removed. It is not appropriate for this kind
of instability and criminality to exist right in the middle of
Europe.”

When asked to clarify her reference to “criminal secessionists” in
the region, Jones stated:

“What about the areas that are right around Russia’s borders where
there are, as I said, secessionists who are criminals that seem to us
to undercut Russia’s security by allowing and not really addressing
in a concrete way the fact that there are secessionist, two
secessionist areas remaining in Georgia and one in Moldova. There
are still outstanding questions with Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia can
play a very positive leadership role in addressing these questions.
It cannot be in Russia’s interest to allow this kind of criminal
activity to take place so close to its borders. This is where there
can be a breeding ground for terrorists. That is not in Russia’s
interests. It is not in Russia’s interest, or in the interests of
the United States or Europe for these areas to be free for weapons
transportation, for narcotics transportation and trafficking. It
cannot be in Russia’s interests.”

The complete transcript from the video conference may be obtained
on the U.S. Embassy-Moscow, Russia website: