U.S. COLD TO ANKARA’S CAUCASUS STABILITY AND COOPERATION PLATFORM

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.09.2008 16:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The United States is cold to the idea, saying it had
not been informed in advance and that the approach does not include
a major Western component, the Turkish Daily News reports.

"I was surprised by this announcement of a Caucasus stability pact by
the Turkish government," said Matt Bryza, deputy assistant secretary
of state for European and Eurasian affairs. "I hadn’t been briefed
that that was going to happen. We have a partnership with Turkey on
the Caucasus, and I presume that we’ll be able to work together very
closely now with our allies in Turkey since we do have clearly shared
interests, not to mention values, throughout the Caucasus with our
Turkish ally." Another U.S. diplomat said later, "We don’t think that
the effort is realistic, plus our strategic partnership [with Turkey]
should normally require closer consultations with us."

Following the hostilities in South Ossetia, Ankara offered a Caucasus
stability pact that could unite Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey
and Georgia.