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Philip Gordon talked on Nagorno-Karabakh and other issues in a briefing

30 June 2010 05:05 (UTC +04:00)

According to Mr. Gordon, the presidents noted the progress that has been made up till now and the principles that should guide the discussions among the parties.
â€œAnd the United States is firmly committed to those principles and determined to work with the parties to encourage them down the same path. I think the G-8 leaders made the statement, as they had in Lâ€™Aquila the previous year, demonstrating their commitment at the highest levels to the Minsk Group process and our desire to see progress on this issueâ€, - he added.
A top US official also pointed out that there is some of the violence that has appeared in the region lately â€œthat we canâ€™t take stability for granted, and Armenia and Azerbaijan would both benefit from moving forward in the Minsk Group process. And the Secretary will have a chance in both countries to underscore what the presidents said in Toronto the other dayâ€.
According to him, Washington is concerned any time violence takes place anywhere.
â€œAnd certainly, as I just noted, nobody can take stability for granted when you have an armed standoff and disagreements like we have here, which underscores again why we are so committed to the Minsk Group process and the need for diplomacy. And that is the purpose of the Secretaryâ€™s - one of the purposes of the Secretaryâ€™s trip to talk to both parties about how to move that process forwardâ€.
Mr. Gordon also reminded that, both sides have made clear their commitment to the Helsinki Principles, the first of which is non-use of force or threat of force. â€œWeâ€™ll look to them to reiterate their commitment to all of the Helsinki Principles as part of this processâ€.
When asked if Armenia-Turkish relations will be on the agenda of upcoming trip to Yerevan, he said that, this issue will be discussed.
â€œProtocols havenâ€™t been ratified. As you know, President Sargsian announced this past spring that he was suspending his pursuit of ratification. But that when Turkish partner was ready to move forward on ratification, Armenia would be as well. So this will be a chance for the Secretary to speak to President Sargsian and the Armenians about how they see that situation. We continue to believe it would be a good thing for the protocols to ratified and implemented and have an open border with Turkey that would benefit both Armenia and Turkeyâ€.
Mr. Gordon also pointed that, energy is a high priority issue for all of the countries the Secretary will be visiting. â€œIn the Caucasus, energy is a critical issue and it absolutely will be a key part of the discussions. I think serious issues with Azerbaijan are clear. These are all serious issues. Energy is a key issue with Azerbaijan, the relationship with Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh is a serious issue, regional security. So, yes, the agenda will be full of serious issues to discuss and thatâ€™s why the Secretaryâ€™s going is because thereâ€™s a lot to talk aboutâ€.