WASHINGTON’S POLICY ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT REMAINS UNCHANGED – US OFFICIAL

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
April 27 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend E.Huseynov, A.Gasimova / Tom Casey,
Deputy Spokesman for the US Department of States has recently stated
at a White House briefing that the US policy on Nagorno-Karabakh has
not changed.

"Certainly nothing in the Human Rights Report should be interpreted as
differing from that longstanding policy. In the Human Rights Report,
as well as in all of our documents, we try and be as accurate and as
factual as we can. Certainly, we are fallible. But again, with respect
to this issue, the policies remain the same and I think that’s the
main point," he stated.

On 6 March the US Department of State issued its Human Rights
Practices Report, which indicated the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh
and 7 districts attached to it by Armenia. However, on 20 April the
formulation indicating the fact of occupation of Armenia was changed.

The Azerbaijani officials insisted on the necessity to inject changes
to their incorrect statement and to cement this Baku delayed its
visit to Washington to discuss security issues.

On 25 April the US Department of State restored the initial version
of the report.