AZERI TREND AGENCY FALSIFIES WORDS OF MATTHEW BRYZA
Noyan Tapan
March 25, 2008
YEREVAN, MARCH 25, NOYAN TAPAN. On March 25, the Trend news agency
of Azerbaijan issued a report about the interview of Matthew Bryza,
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State with the New York-based
Armenian Reporter newspaper. The English version of the Trend report is
obviously a reverse translation from another language, probably Russian
or Azeri, for this reason, it does not fully coincide with the original
English version of the Armenian Reporter. However, there is a fragment,
where the words of the American official were obviously falsified,
and this cannot be the result of a mere translation error. Below
we present the Trend fragment and the original text of the Armenian
Reporter. The falsified fragment is marked by CAPITALS.
Trend report.
Title: Recognition of Nagorno Karabakh Republic by Armenia to be
Asymmetric Respond – Matthew Bryza
ws&newsid=1162329&lang=EN
"I think that any step directed to forejudge the negotiations on
approaching positions of Armenia and Azerbaijan on basic principles
would not be fruitful. OUR ATTITUDE WAS PRECISELY TO THE RESOLUTION
SUBMITTED BY AZERBAIJAN TO THE AGENDA OF UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY. IT WAS
A UNILATERAL RESOLUTION, WHICH REFLECTED UNFAIR AND NON-BALANCED
CHARACTER OF PROPOSALS PUT FORWARD ON THE NEGOTIATION TABLE. If
the Armenian Government will take unilateral step and recognize
independence of Nagorno Karabakh Republic, then it would cause a
serious damage to the peace process, Bryza said in the interview
to Armenian Reporter newspaper in the United States." Bryza stated
if Armenia would take such step it would be asymmetric respond to
Azerbaijan.
End of quote.
The Armenian Reporter text. Title: U.S. official
sees return of democratic momentum in Armenia, at
Bryza: I think any move that pre-judges the outcome of the negotiations
that are under way and that are achieving some real results in
terms of moving closer to finalizing the basic principles would be
unhelpful. AND WE LOOKED AT THE UN GA RESOLUTION OF AZERBAIJAN IN THAT
VERY LIGHT: THAT IT WAS A ONE-SIDED RESOLUTION THAT DID NOT REFLECT THE
FAIR AND BALANCED NATURE OF THE PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE. Similarly, if
the Armenian side were to move unilaterally and pre-judge the outcome
of the negotiations by recognizing Nagorno Karabakh that would be
something that is very seriously undermining the peace process. I
think that would be a highly asymmetric response [to Azerbaijan’s
move at the UN GA] and potentially a highly destabilizing move.
End of quote.
As evident, the Trend text has falsified Mr Bryza’s assessment of
the UN GA resolution on Nagorno Karabakh and, most importantly,
his assessment of the current proposals of the Co-Chairs for Nagorno
Karabakh negotiations.
Matthew Bryza has said the current proposals are "fair and balanced",
and the UN resolution proposed by Azerbaijan "does not reflect" their
nature. In contrast, the Trend report claims that Mr Brysa has said
the proposals are "UNFAIR AND NON-BALANCED," which is reflected by
the UN GA Resolution. In other words, Trend says exactly the contrary
to what Matthew Bryza has said.