U.S. rejects reports it opposes Karabakh’s return to Baku

Interfax, Russia
Feb 28 2005

YEREVAN/BAKU. Feb 28 (Interfax) – U.S. officials made a statement
denying assertions that Washington, which one of the mediators working
to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, is against returning
Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.

These assertions were made following Armenian media reports which
cited U.S. Ambassador John Evans’s statements made at a meeting with
the Armenian community in Los Angeles.

The U.S. ambassador was quoted as saying that although the U.S.
respects the territorial integrity of states, everyone understands
that giving Karabakh back to Azerbaijan would be a disaster.

In the wake of this statement, the U.S. Embassies in Yerevan and
Baku on Monday circulated statements saying that Evans’s assertions
reflected only his personal point of view.