ANNE DERSE: "CHANGES IN THE REGION CAN APPEAR FEARFUL"
APA
April 27 2009
Azerbaijan
Baku. Lachin Sultanova – APA. US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne Derse
was a guest of "Ambassador’s Hour" club at Baku Slavic University. The
diplomat spoke about the relationship between the United States and
the Russian Federation, APA reports. She laid out a few of the areas
where the Russian-American partnership can make the world a safer
and healthier place. "We can reduce the number of nuclear weapons
and work together to stop the spread of nuclear weapons elsewhere",
she said. According to her, still today, foreign correspondents love
to speculate about the "New Great Game," in which Russia, the United
States, Europe and Iran compete. "I’m here to tell you that there is
no New Great Game. The future of Azerbaijan — the future of all the
independent, sovereign nations of this region — is not subject to a
game. Your future is yours to decide. Not Moscow’s; not Washington’s;
not anyone else’s". The ambassador said it was natural that Russia
and Azerbaijan, as neighbors, had normal relations. "It is natural
that Russia’s economic, diplomatic and cultural ties with Azerbaijan
are solid and thriving. Azerbaijan would be a less dynamic nation
without them".
Anne Derse answered the questions of the faculty and staff. She said
her country was intensifying its efforts toward settlement of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. "Concrete developments can be a sign of changes in
the region. These changes can appear fearful. The diplomat reminded
that OSCE Minsk Group US Co-chair Matthew Bryza visited the region
for six times over the last couple of weeks by the instructions of
the US President and the Secretary of State.