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Anne Derse: â€œChanges in the region can appear fearfulâ€

27 April 2009 13:01 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Lachin Sultanova â€“ APA. US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne Derse was a guest of â€œAmbassadorâ€™s Hourâ€ club at Baku Slavic University. The diplomat spoke about the relationship between the United States and the Russian Federation, APA reports. She laid out a few of the areas where the Russian-American partnership can make the world a safer and healthier place. â€œWe can reduce the number of nuclear weapons and work together to stop the spread of nuclear weapons elsewhereâ€, she said. According to her, still today, foreign correspondents love to speculate about the "New Great Game," in which Russia, the United States, Europe and Iran compete. â€œI’m here to tell you that there is no New Great Game. The future of Azerbaijan -- the future of all the independent, sovereign nations of this region -- is not subject to a game. Your future is yours to decide. Not Moscow’s; not Washington’s; not anyone else’sâ€. The ambassador said it was natural that Russia and Azerbaijan, as neighbors, had normal relations. â€œIt is natural that Russia’s economic, diplomatic and cultural ties with Azerbaijan are solid and thriving. Azerbaijan would be a less dynamic nation without themâ€.

Anne Derse answered the questions of the faculty and staff. She said her country was intensifying its efforts toward settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. â€œConcrete developments can be a sign of changes in the region. These changes can appear fearful. The diplomat reminded that OSCE Minsk Group US Co-chair Matthew Bryza visited the region for six times over the last couple of weeks by the instructions of the US President and the Secretary of State.