US URGES AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA TO AVOID FURTHER CEASEFIRE VIOLATION

Agence France Presse — English
March 5, 2008 Wednesday

A US envoy traveling between Azerbaijan and Armenia has urged both
sides to avoid further violations of the ceasefire along the dividing
line in Nagorny Karabakh, a US official said Wednesday.

Envoy Matt Bryza voiced his concerns to officials in Azerbaijan’s
capital of Baku and in a telephone call to Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanian of Armenia, where Bryza is due Thursday, State Department
deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.

But he said Bryza was heading to Armenia mainly to urge the authorities
there to lift a state of emergency imposed at the weekend to stop
violence that erupted over February’s presidential election.

"We regret that there was a violation of the cease-fire along the
dividing line in Nagorny-Karabakh," Casey told reporters.

Armenia and Azerbaijan, which fought a war over the ethnic-Armenian
dominated enclave in the early 1990s, accused the other of starting
clashes Tuesday along the ceasefire line and each disputed how many
troops were killed.

"We think it’s important that there be no further violations,"
Casey said.

"And it just points out the need for the two parties to work together
with the Minsk Group to be able to come up with a diplomatic resolution
of the situation," he added.

The Minsk Group was created in 1992 by the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to bring about a peaceful resolution
to the conflict.

Bryza, the deputy assistant secretary for European Affairs, will
be in Armenia on Thursday mainly "to see what he could do to help
encourage and facilitate a dialogue between the government and the
opposition there."

"One of his clear messages will be to tell the Armenian government
that, now that the situation has calmed down, it’s very important to
us to see the state of emergency lifted there," he said.

Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian declared the 20-day state of
emergency in Yerevan on Saturday after eight people died in clashes
between riot police and opposition supporters protesting the result
of a presidential election.

The opposition claims the election was rigged to ensure victory for
Serzh Sarkisian, Kocharian’s hand-picked successor.

"We also are concerned about the limitations and restrictions that
have been placed on the media, including Radio Liberty and Radio Free
Europe, there. And we’d like to see those lifted," Casey added.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress