MRS. JONES DOESN’T MEAN WHAT SHE SAID
Ambassador Evans: We Are Armenia’s Good Friends
Azg/arm
25 Jan 05
John Marshal Evans, the US ambassador to Armenia, in the course of the
interview given to Armenia TV repeated for five times that Elizabeth
Johns, assistant of the US State Secretary, didn’t call the Karabakh
authorities secessionists. “I know ambassador Johns for 30 years. When
I heard about the statement I thought that something is wrong. I have
very attentively read the text of her answers and understood that the
things she meant didn’t concern Nagorno Karabakh”, ambassador Evans
said.
“Johns stated that Russia should more actively cooperate with the US
in the settlement of the four frozen conflicts, and, in order to
emphasize her statement, she added that there are some criminal
elements by the very border of Russia. I know Geography and I don’t
think that she meant Nagorno Karabakh, except for the context when she
spoke of the necessity to settle the four frozen conflict,” Evans
stated, adding, “I don’t think she meant Nagorno Karabakh.”
In response to the direct question put by Armenia TV reporter, whether
ambassador Johns called NKR authorities secessionists, John Evans
said: “Ifyou read the text, you will see that she speaks of such
elements, two of which are in Georgia, one is in Moldova. While in the
next sentence she said that there are some unsolved issues in Nagorno
Karabakh.”
Ambassador Evans repeated that on January 13, in Moscow, Elizabeth
Johns made no statement on the US policy and Washington’s position in
the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh issue hasn’t changed. He said if
somebody wants tomake harm to the Armenian-American relations, can
keep saying obstinacies addressed to Ambassador Johns.
Ambassador Evans reminded that for many years the US have rendered
humanitarian aid to Nagorno Karabakh. “We are the second country
(together with Armenia) that render humanitarian aid to Nagorno
Karabakh.” The US ambassador also wished that the Nagorno Karabakh
issue is settled, so that “the people living there don’t suffer from
the difficulties of an unrecognized state.”
On January 20, Armenian Public TV informed that Elizabeth Johns called
Vartan Oskanian, RA foreign minister, and express regret that her
statement having no relation with Nagorno Karabakh made such an
impression in Armenia.
By Tatoul Hakobian