US HOPES FOR RAPID PROGRESS IN THE KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

armradio.am
16.11.2009 14:27

"The US hopes for rapid progress in the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the former US ambassador to Azerbaijan
and Turkey, Ross Wilson, told APA news agency.

Wilson said the United States stands ready to help in any way that it
can. Washington is certainly very much focused on it and engaged in it.

"There are some basic understandings of the basic principles that would
be necessary to resolve this conflict, and I believe all of the parties
would benefit if there were a resolution of the conflict," he said.

The former ambassador believes any contact and dialogue among the
parties is a good thing, so "the more of that the better".

Wilson said that while Azerbaijan has made critical contributions to
international security efforts, the country has security concerns
closer to home: "The key to long-term stability in the region is
achieving a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We
want to see Azerbaijan and Armenia living side-by-side in a peace
that fosters mutual prosperity."

Speaking about the accords to normalize Turkish-Armenian relations,
Wilson said that this was not an initiative by the United States and
was initiated just by Turkey and Armenia.

"We saw during the war in Georgia in August 2008 that negative things
happen in the region. And a normal relationship with Turkey would
really be a historic development that would benefit not only the people
of both countries today, but the whole region. And so we actually do
think that there is a historic opportunity in the region," Wilson said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress