AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
Nov 19 2009

Garabagh solution in superpowers’ interest, US congressman says

19-11-2009 06:20:38

A US congressman has said he would support the October agreement on
mending ties signed by Turkey and Armenia if the deal can both bring
Armenia closer to the West and expedite a negotiated solution to the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.
`It is in the interest of both the United States and Russia to resolve
this conflict, which has serious implications for global energy
security,’ Michael McMahon said.
The congressman also noted that Washington shares with its allies an
interest in the Caucasus region.
Armenia and Turkey signed protocols on October 10 in Switzerland to
establish diplomatic relations and reopen their sealed borders, in a
bid to normalize ties, marred by decades of hostility due to Armenian
occupation of Azerbaijani territory and Yerevan’s claims on 1915
`genocide’ in Ottoman Turkey.
`Unfortunately, a timeline has yet to be set for the protocols to be
ratified by Turkey or Armenia. This does not mean, however, that the
signing in Zurich was not a huge step forward for both countries. In
an ideal world, all the players would be cognizant of this fact and
move to ratify on the protocols in their respective parliaments,’
McMahon added.
The documents require ratification in both countries’ parliaments, and
Turkish officials have assured Azerbaijan, Turkey’s ally, that the
protocols will not pass in the country’s parliament until progress is
made in resolving the Garabagh conflict.*