U.S. AND THE CAUCASUS

VOice of America
29 June 2008

Reflecting the Views of the
United States Government

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
Daniel Fried said U.S. policy toward the South Caucasus is "to help
the nations of this region travel along the same path toward freedom,
democracy and market-based economies that so many of their neighbors
to the West have traveled."

Speaking to the U.S. House of Representative’s Foreign Affairs
Committee, Assistant Secretary Fried said the U.S. believes that
the ultimate place of these nations, which are part of wider Europe,
ought to depend on their own choice and their own success, or lack
of success, in meeting the standards of democracy, the rule of law,
and responsible foreign and regional policies that the transatlantic
community has established. The U.S., he said, does not believe "that
any outside power – neither Russian nor any other – should have a
sphere of influence over these countries; no outside power should be
able to threaten, pressure, or block the sovereign choice of these
nations to join with the institutions of Europe and the transatlantic
family if they so choose and we so choose."

Assistant Secretary Fried noted that Georgia, Azerbaijan and
Armenia are ancient nations but still new as nation states. "They
are navigating a double transition," he said. "They must throw off
the failed communist institutions of the past and build new ones to
replace them, including in many cases entirely new systems – such
as modern banking and financial systems to support their newly free
economies – where none existed before."

The U.S. welcomes Azerbaijan’s progress on security cooperation and
diversification of energy supplies and values Azerbaijan’s troop
contributions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet the U.S. remains concerned
about a lag in democratic reforms in Azerbaijan, including respect
for fundamental freedoms.

The U.S. supports Armenia’s regional integration. A major step in
this regard would be the peaceful, just, and lasting settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Achieving normal relations between
Armenia and Turkey is another U.S. concern. But Armenia’s greatest
challenge is to strengthen its democratic institutions and processes,
including respect for human rights.

Georgia has made progress, but it too is challenged with building
strong democratic institutions and processes to match its commitment
to economic and commercial reform. Assistant Secretary Fried said the
U.S. will continue to be steadfast and supportive of the advance of
democracy and freedom in the South Caucasus region.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress