US DIPLOMAT RULES OUT MILITARY SOLUTION FOR KARABAKH CONFLICT

Mediamax
Oct 17 2008
Armenia

Yerevan, 17 October: US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried
stated in Yerevan today that the "Azerbaijani leadership very well
knows that a military solution to Karabakh conflict is impossible".

Mediamax reports that, speaking at a briefing in Yerevan today, the US
diplomat noted that August events in Georgia once again demonstrated
the destructive nature of efforts to solve conflict situations with
the use of force.

Commenting on the recent statement of OSCE Minsk Group US Co-Chair
Matthew Bryza, US Assistant Secretary of State stated that "yes, we
have said that the settlement of Karabakh conflict should start from
the principle of respecting the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,
but we have never said that this principle is the only one".

"There are other internationally recognized principles as well,
including the right for self-determination", Daniel Fried stated.

According to him, the "reconciling" of those principles is a difficult
task, however in the course of the recent years the sides have managed
to reach real progress at the mediation of OSCE Minsk Group. The US
diplomat stated that the US side intends to continue working within the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmanship format together with its colleagues
from Russia and France.