BRYZA SAYS OBAMA SHARES HIS VIEW ON TERRITORY WITHDRAWAL

Asbarez
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Aug 12, 2009

BAKU -US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza, who is on
the last leg of his Caucasus tour, said the President Obama shared his
opinion that Armenia should withdraw from the liberated territories
surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, as reflected in his joint announcement
last month with French and Russian presidents.

"The United States fully supports the peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of the Madrid principles," Bryza
told journalists. "We have finalized some of the Madrid principles
and discussed them at a meeting in Krakow."

He said that the Russia has also played a constructive role in the
Karabakh conflict resolution process.

"Our work in the Minsk Group has always been fair and constructive,"
he said."The Minsk Group has helped the two Presidents bring closer
the positions on the issues that will help resolve this conflict."

In his opinion, the Presidents are close to sign a framework agreement.

"I’m very grateful for the time that we worked together with you, for
the respect for the process of the Minsk Group and me personally,"
added Bryza who is on his last visit to the region in his current
capacity.

Last month he announced that he would be leaving his post as Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State and on Tuesday, Tbilisi, he announced
that Tina Kaidanow, the US Ambassador to Kosovo, would replace him
in that capacity.

"The United States and Azerbaijan and their peoples are connected
by many interests, including security interests, as well as in the
context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," he said.

He said that the U.S. is interested in Azerbaijan as an energy supplier
to Europe.

"President Obama considers Azerbaijan a very important strategic
partner of the United States, and many high-ranking representatives
from the U.S. Administration, such as Steinberg and Gordon, have
already made visits to the country, he said. – The U.S. Administration
will continue the process of strengthening relations and cooperation
between our countries. I hope to work in the Caucasus as long as I can,
but I have not been appointed ambassador yet."

"Over these years, the U.S. and Azerbaijan have long and successfully
worked on the issues of democracy in Azerbaijan," he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress