The statement of the US Embassy in Azerbaijan
armradio.am
19.02.2008 18:02
The Press Service of the US Embassy in Azerbaijan issued a
statement, which says, in part: "The situation in Kosovo is
a special case and does not set a precedent for other regions,
including Nagorno-Karabakh." The embassy’s public affairs office
told APA that according to the statement, the unusual combination of
factors involved in Kosovo, including a specific U.N. Security Council
Resolution envisioning a status process and an extended period of
transitional U.N. administration makes the Kosovo case fundamentally
different from all other existing cases.
"Of particular importance, the situation in Kosovo is governed by the
terms of a specific resolution that was intended to help determine
Kosovo’s future status through a political process that contemplated
the possibility of independence. The United States, together with
France and Russia, is a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, and in
that capacity has been actively involved in mediating a solution to
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for 11 years. Our longstanding policy
remains unchanged: the United States recognizes the sovereignty
and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and supports a peaceful and
negotiated solution to the conflict. At the same time, we maintain
that the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh should be determined
through international negotiations.
In the wake of these latest developments in Kosovo, we call on all
members of the international community to avoid any public statements
that could undermine the chances for a peaceful, negotiated settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Any attempt to resolve the conflict
through military force or any means other than a negotiated compromise
risks undermining peace and stability throughout the Caucasus,"
the statement reads.