US ASSISTANT STATE SECRETARY REGRETS FOR HER STATEMENT ON KARABAKH:
ARMENIA’S FM

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22. ARMINFO. In a phone talk with Armenia’s Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan US Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth
Jones expressed regret that her statement received such a response in
Armenia. She said that she was not thinking and could not think of
Karabakh when mentioning criminal, separatist regimes in the territory
of the former Soviet republics.

In an interview to OTA Oskanyan says that this phone call can put an
end to the problem for despite the ambiguity of the statement there
could be not other outcome. The US’ involvement in the Karabakh peace
process, their previous statements, their consistency and awareness,
their annual target aid to Karabakh – all this implied that there was
some mistake. “I am glad and appreciate Ms Jones’ today’s call,” says
Oskanyan.

Oskanyan says that he was amazed by the reaction of the Armenian
public as “such deep charges must not be neglected.” The reaction was
to what was presented by the press. One could not draw other
conclusions from what was written as the statement was equivocal. The
equivocality of the statement and the fact that Karabakh was also
mentioned in such serious charges were enough for such public
response, says Oskanyan.-0