US OFFICIAL WARNS ARMENIA AGAINST RECOGNIZING BREAKAWAY KARABAKH

Mediamax
March 25 2008
Armenia

Yerevan, 25 March: The US co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group, Matthew Bryza,
stated that the recognition of independence of the Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic (NKR) by Armenia will be "very seriously undermining the
peace process".

Mediamax reports that the US diplomat said this in an interview
to Armenian Reporter newspaper, published in the USA, commenting
on the statements, according to which in the light of the recent
non-constructive steps of Azerbaijan, Armenia should recognize the
independence of NKR.

"I think any move that prejudges the outcome of the negotiations
that are underway 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 prejudge the outcome
of the negotiations by recognizing Nagornyy Karabakh, that would
be something that is very seriously undermining the peace process,"
Matthew Bryza stated.

The US mediator expressed an opinion that this will become "a highly
asymmetric response" to the actions of Azerbaijan in the UN and
"potentially a highly destabilizing move".

Matthew Bryza said in connection with the possibility of NKR being
recognized by Armenia that "I do not know how that would leave space
for the continuation of negotiations".