MATTHEW BRYZA PUT RESPONSIBILITY FOR MARCH EVENTS IN ARMENIA ON ROBERT KOCHARIAN NOT MENTIONING HIS NAME

Azeri Press Agency
April 18 2008
Azerbaijan

Washington-APA. The US Government thinks Armenian authorities bear
responsibility for the March events in Yerevan, said Matthew Bryza,
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs in his speech at hearings in US Helsinki Commission on the
situation in Armenia, APA quotes Armenian web-sites.

He said Washington was not informed in detail about the March 1-2
events during the protest actions in Yerevan, but thought that Armenian
elected leadership had responsibility for that. Matthew Bryza supported
unbiased investigation of cracking down on the opposition meeting by
the authorities and called on Yerevan to take resolute measures for the
restoration of democracy in the country and releasing of nearly 100
arrested oppositionists. Bryza warned Armenia about its removal from
the "Millennium Challenge" Program if it would not meet these demands.