U.S. VIEWS ON AZERI-ARMENIAN DISPUTE

United Press International
March 15 2006

BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 15 (UPI) — The U.S. co-chair of the mediating
OSCE Minsk Group, Steven Mann visited the Azeri capital Baku Tuesday.

Ambassador Mann, the State Department’s senior advisor for Eurasia,
and State Department Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian
Affairs Daniel Fried met Azerbaijani officials to discuss the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue, the AssA-Irada news agency said.

AssA-Irada said that during a press conference Mann urged both nations
to seek a negotiated settlement despite the lack of concrete results
of during February talks between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders in
Rambouillet, France.

Following the collapse of those discussions, a number of Azerbaijani
politicians threatened to use the country’s surging oil revenues
to acquire more military hardware and re-launch a war to resolve
the dispute.

Mann told journalists “There are issues of concern for both parties
that are reflected in their positions. But the resumption of
hostilities would be a tragedy for both countries. No war will lead
to a solution either now or in 20 years.

“At the same time, in considering the military option, Azerbaijan
should take into account other factors, such as the importance of
energy projects that will bring profits to the country. America is
cooperating with Azerbaijan and Armenia and deems both as friendly
nations,” he said.

In one of its first foreign policy initiatives after coming to power
five years ago, the Bush administration attempted in April 2001 to
mediate a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The two
countries fought a three-year war over Nagorno-Karabakh, which ended
with a 1994 cease-fire, leaving Armenia occupying the traditionally
Armenian enclave.