AZG Armenian Daily #232, 13/12/2008
Karabakh conflict
MATTHEW BRYZA: "RELATIONS BETWEEN ALIYEV AND SARGSIAN ARE BETTER, THAN
THE RELATIONS BETWEEN ALIYEV AND KOCHARIAN"
Usually the change of administration in Washington means the change of
the leadership of State Department, including the State Secretary and
his entourage. The talk is about the replacement of political
diplomats, carrying out foreign policy, but as a rule, it does not
touch career diplomats, Turan was told in the exclusive interview by
the Assistant of the U.S. State Secretary Matthew Bryza responding the
question if he will continue the work on settlement the Karabakh
conflict in the new U.S. administration.
"I am a career diplomat, and I hope to remain on my post, I would like
to bring to end, and to see the signing of the peace agreement," Bryza
said. He admitted that the question on his staying on the post of the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chair will be solved by the new leadership of
State Department, and situation will be clarified in the end of
January. Concerning the talks on settlement of Karabakh conflict,
Bryza noted positive mood of the countries.
"I do not think that president Aliyev wants war," Bryza said
commenting on complaints of Armenian President that Moscow Declaration
does not rule out use of the force for the solution to the
conflict. He considers there is a good dialogue between the presidents
of the two states, and they trust each other. Bryza said that
relations between Aliyev and Sargsian are better, than the relations
between Aliyev and Kocharian, and it is evident. Concerning the often
and mutually exclusive interpretation of his statements by Armenian
and Azerbaijani journalists, Bryza said that he always tries to be as
honest as possible. The principles of settlement, which are being
discussed at present, are the combination of territorial integrity and
self-determination, and the sides should decide themselves how to
solve it, Bryza said. "It is a pity that sometimes journalists try to
use what meets their expectations and interests. The truth is that
when you see one thing, you should not close your eyes to another
thing. Journalists must be professionals and must understand it. The
information should be built on the understating of the question’s
essence, instead of making it of phrases, which you like more," Bryza
said.