US Ambassador in Armenia comments on Karabakh.
US Ambassador in Armenia Marie Jovanovich suggested that the five-party declaration on Karabakh, adopted at the OSCE summit in Astana, will have a positive impact on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "The current situation in the conflict area is very serious, especially considering the incidents that occurred on the frontline”, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Armenia Marie Jovanovich told an exclusive interview to Azatutyun radio station. “However, we believe that the five-party declaration on Nagorno-Karabakh adopted at the recent OSCE summit in Astana, which was signed by Presidents Sargsyan and Aliyev and representatives of the three co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group will have a positive impact on the settlement of issue”.
"I think that by this declaration Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev came to an agreement on the importance of making stronger efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict. I think that they also agreed that the only solution to the problem, achieved through peaceful negotiations, will lead to reconciliation between the two peoples”, said the ambassador.
According to Jovanovich, in Astana, the presidents also agreed that the final solution should be based on international law, UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, as well as joint statements Presidents Obama, Medvedev and Sarkozy, adopted in L'Akville and Muskoka.
"These two statements of the presidents are particularly important not only because they carry the three fundamental Helsinki principles (the preservation of territorial integrity, self-determination of nations and the peaceful resolution of issues), but also because it offered the six elements that, in our opinion, may become the basis for a final decision ", said the US ambassador.
"We believe that all this evidences the progress and hopes that in 2011 we will witness even greater progress. We also believe that this is the only way to move in this direction. This is important for Armenia, important for Azerbaijan, important for Nagorno-Karabakh ", said Marie Jovanovich.
As for whether she thinks hostilities in the conflict may resume, the ambassador replied: "Anything is possible in this life, but we are convinced that this is not the solution to this issue. As I have already noted, the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed in Astana that the only path for reconciliation is through peace talks. And I must say that the co-chairing countries [the OSCE Minsk Group] fully support these negotiations".
As for possible resumption of currently suspended Armenian-Turkish rapprochement in 2011, Marie Jovanovich declined to predict a specific time frame, however, noting that it is difficult to imagine that relations between the two countries have remained unresolved for more than a hundred years.
"In my opinion, the only real way towards solving this issue for both Armenia and Turkey is continuation of already initiated process of rapprochement. This is important for both countries and the entire region. Turks and Armenians have lived together for centuries, and I think that day will come when they will begin to live again in peace side by side ", said ambassador.
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