US STATES NEUTRAL STANCE ON ARMENIA POST-ELECTION STAND-OFF

Assa-Irada
March 11 2008
Azerbaijan

The United States does not back either side in the political stand-off
that followed Armenia’s February 19presidential poll, deputy spokesman
for the State Department said. Tom Casey stressed that the White House
had notforwarded a letter congratulating Armenia’s prime minister Serzh
Sarkisian on winning the election. He said Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State Matthew Bryza was in Yerevan to seek ways of launching dialog
between the sides involved inpost-election stand-off. Thousands of
Armenian demonstrators protested for 10 days after the election that
they said wasrigged.

The protests were marred by heavy clashes. Casey said Washingtons key
goal was to achieve stabilizing thesituation in Armenia and canceling
the state of emergency announced over the unrest in the soonest
time possible. Bryza told the press upon completing his meetings in
the Armenian capital that the U.S. had urged all the sides involved
toput an end to violence and restore stability. He said the best way
to ease the tensions was to launch political dialog. This requires
lifting restrictions on local mass media and restoring freedom
of speech. Bryza said the police andcourts should investigate the
clashes that took place during the mass protests. He added that the
United States future cooperation with Armenia depended on the plight
of democratic institutions in the country.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress