MATTHEW BRYZA WILL PASS A LOT OF MESSAGES

KarabakhOpen
09-04-2008 20:43:10

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chair Matthew Bryza who participated in the
inauguration of the new president Serge Sargsyan in Yerevan on April
9 held an exclusive interview with radio Liberty in which he spelled
out interesting and important ideas regarding the political situation
in Armenia. In particular, Radio Liberty reports Matthew Bryza said
the events of March 1 were unprecedented and dramatic steps are
necessary to restore confidence that the country is moving in the
right direction.

In particular, he mentioned full restoration of all freedoms, freedom
of press, peaceful assemblies and marches. It is highly important
to release those people whose actions contained political elements
rather than criminal elements, at the same time, investigation must
be carried out, and the persons who committed election fraud and used
violence should be punished, independent from which camp they are,
the government or the opposition, Matthew Bryza stated. Therefore,
he said restoration of confidence in the judicial system is a primary
problem in this country.

With regard to his participation in the inauguration and answering
the question whether his participation means that the United States
considers the Armenian presidential election as democratic, Matthew
Bryza said he is just a modest American diplomat who is responsible
for this region and has arrived to establish effective ways of
communication, hoping that cooperation between Armenia and the
United States in all the spheres, including the issues of Karabakh
and security, and Armenia will again launch democratic and economic
reforms.

Matthew Bryza says he is neither the president nor the foreign
minister of the United States, he is the deputy assistant secretary
of state who is not indifferent toward this region and this country
and is in charge of setting up relations and sustaining them. Matthew
Bryza thinks it is important to sustain working relations with the
main forces of Armenia, the president elect, the future government,
the opposition and the civil society representatives.

Matthew Bryza also said he has not brought along any written message
from the U.S. President George Bush, instead he has brought along
some oral messages which he is going to pass to as many people as
possible. As to the question when George Bush will congratulate Serge
Sargsyan, the U.S. diplomat said he cannot speak on behalf of his
president. He said he thinks Washington will react to the course of
events in Armenia at the top level, and when the citizens of Armenia
show that they are satisfied with the path along which the country is
moving, and the government makes dramatic moves, there will also be
a statement by President Bush or Secretary Rice, Radio Liberty reports