ROBERT L. LIVINGSTON: "907" AMENDMENT NEEDS TO BE ABOLISHED – EXCLUSIVE

APA
May 19 2009
Azerbaijan

Washington. Zaur Hasanov – APA. Former Speaker-designate of the
U.S. House of Representatives Robert L. Livingston gives an interview
to APA US bureau

Profile. Robert Livingston was the member of the House of
Representatives in 1977-1999. In 1998 in capacity of chairman of the
Appropriations Committee Livingston initiated to eliminate Section 907
of the Freedom Support Act and managed its abolition on the level of
the committee. Full abolition of the section was impossible in the
voting held in the House of Representatives due to the pressure of
the Armenian lobby.

– Both President Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton have
stated that they will foster the process of final settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. How can it help the final settlement of
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

– We have to hope that this is going to be true. In the next few
weeks, the President Mubarak of Egypt is coming to the United
States and President Obama is going to Egypt to address the entire
Muslim world. It appears to me that President Obama has a very clear
understanding of issues which affect the whole region, all the way
through to the Caspian. If that is true, then he has to know that
the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a key ingredient
to resolving the problems of the area. Turkey has been talking to
Armenia these days and Prime Minister Ardogan just last week showed
Azerbaijan that he is not going to resolve the border issue with
Armenia without resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh issue as well. It is
important for Europe because of the pipelines. It is important for
the entire world because of troubled areas such as Iran and elsewhere.

With President Obama going to Egypt to address the Muslim world, his
address is going to be a comprehensive one and the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict is going to be a very key component.

– In 1998, your initiated to abolish "907" amendment to "The Freedom
Support Act" almost succeeded in the House. Do you think will it be
possible to repeal it with the Democrats controlling the Congress?

– It is an unfair provision. That provision was placed on the books
back in 1992 by John Kerry in the middle of the night when nobody was
looking and nobody thought anything about it. There is no provision of
this kind like that aimed at any other friend of the United States or
any enemy of the United States. It is the only provision of its sort
in our foreign policy and it needs to be abolished. Almost everybody
in our Defense Department says it should be abolished, some people
in our State Department say that it should be abolished. But getting
the political will of the majority of Congress in both Houses takes
work. With the Armenian Diaspora constantly working against it,
it is an uphill battle. But it is possible.

– Don’t you think that with John Kerry, a chairman of the powerful
foreign affairs committee, it will be difficult to do?

– Senator John Kerry has a different hat to wear these days. He is
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has to be more
responsible. His responsibility is to do what is in the best interest
of the United States. Eliminating 907 is not only in the best interest
of Azerbaijan but it is in the best interest of the United States.

– Some experts in Washington believe that if Turkey opens its borders
with Armenia without significant progress on Nagorno-Karabakh issue,
it still will bring an improved environment to the region. Do you
agree with this approach?

– Not really. Once you open the border then people who are
occupying the territory will not likely give it up. It needs to be
a comprehensive resolution. Otherwise the people who have gained
the ground will refuse to move and you will continue to have a
struggle. Then it will be up to the individuals to fight for their
property back and once the conflicts starts you can not get rid of
it. So I think we need a comprehensive settlement.