DOES BRYZA FOSTER RECOGNITION OF KARABAKH BY ARMENIA?

Karabakh Open
27-03-2008 10:17:17

"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,"
stated the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. "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,"
Bryza said Armenian Reporter wrote.

"I know there has been an inquiry from the Azerbaijani mission to
the OSCE about what would be the procedures were any country wish to
withdraw from the Minsk Group. But I do not know about anything that
went beyond an inquiry," stated Matthew Bryza.

Commenting on the inquiry of Azerbaijan regarding the Minsk Group and
the passage of the UN GA resolution, the acting president of Armenia
Robert Kocharyan said several days ago in case Azerbaijan carries on
this policy, Armenia may recognize NKR.

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 and
potentially a highly destabilizing move.

"What I thought the Secretary said is that we are looking into
suspending or beginning to implement limitations to some of our
programs.

One thing that you saw was that letter that came from Ambassador
John Danilovich that talked about the need to reconsider the MCC
program in the current circumstances. We were also in the process of
possibly limiting certain other flows of assistance money if the state
of emergency was not lifted and if the freedoms in Armenia were not
restored. But it sounds as perhaps those positive steps have been taken
and since the positive steps have been taken then there is no need for
us to take negative steps on our side. I hope very much that lifting
of the state of emergency moves tensions in Armenia to a new phase,
in which freedoms and democratic momentum in Armenia are restored and
we get back on track with all of the items on our important agenda,"
Matthew Bryza said in an interview with the Armenian Reporter.

It is notable that the MCC signed a 400 thousand dollar contract with
the Millennium Challenge Armenia for the layout and repair of four
water pipelines.