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KARABAKH: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT "REVISED" ITS MISTAKE IN ANNUAL REPORT OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Yerkir
20.04.2007 18:13
YEREVAN (YERKIR) - The U.S. Department of State has revised the
mistaken assertion, within the Armenia section of its recently released
annual human rights report, that, "Armenia continues to occupy the
Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno Karabakh and seven surrounding
Azerbaijani territories," the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) reported.
The amended language, released this week, has been posted on
the Department's website. It reads as follows: "Armenian forces
occupy large portions of Azerbaijan territory adjacent to Nagorno
Karabakh. Armenian officials maintain that they "do not occupy"
Nagorno Karabakh itself." The Azerbaijan section, which included
nearly identical language, has yet to be revised.
"We take note of the fact that the State Department has responded
to our concern that the report's mischaracterization of Nagorno
Karabakh's status would be detrimental to the U.S. government's role
as an impartial mediator of the Minsk Group negotiations.
We remain concerned that the amended text continues to fall short
of accurately describing the situation, as well as by the fact that
the Azerbaijan section of the report continues to make incorrect
assertions, thus making its text inconsistent with the State
Department's own revision of the Armenia section," ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian said.
ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, in an April 3, 2007 letter to Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice, expressed concerns that, "such statements
fundamentally misrepresent the well-documented reality in the region,
contradict the Department's previous human rights reports, and
undermine the credibility of the United States as an impartial arbiter
destined to a leadership role in the OSCE Minsk Group peace process."
"These unprecedented assertions are both factually inaccurate and
counter-productive to our government's aim of reaching a durable
resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. To say that Nagorno
Karabakh is an Azerbaijani territory and that Armenia occupies Nagorno
Karabakh and other territories is to ignore the very fundamentals of
this conflict. These statements only serve to send the wrong message
to the Azerbaijani side and further complicate the peace negotiations,"
Ken Hachikian said.
Yerkir
20.04.2007 18:13
YEREVAN (YERKIR) - The U.S. Department of State has revised the
mistaken assertion, within the Armenia section of its recently released
annual human rights report, that, "Armenia continues to occupy the
Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno Karabakh and seven surrounding
Azerbaijani territories," the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA) reported.
The amended language, released this week, has been posted on
the Department's website. It reads as follows: "Armenian forces
occupy large portions of Azerbaijan territory adjacent to Nagorno
Karabakh. Armenian officials maintain that they "do not occupy"
Nagorno Karabakh itself." The Azerbaijan section, which included
nearly identical language, has yet to be revised.
"We take note of the fact that the State Department has responded
to our concern that the report's mischaracterization of Nagorno
Karabakh's status would be detrimental to the U.S. government's role
as an impartial mediator of the Minsk Group negotiations.
We remain concerned that the amended text continues to fall short
of accurately describing the situation, as well as by the fact that
the Azerbaijan section of the report continues to make incorrect
assertions, thus making its text inconsistent with the State
Department's own revision of the Armenia section," ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian said.
ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, in an April 3, 2007 letter to Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice, expressed concerns that, "such statements
fundamentally misrepresent the well-documented reality in the region,
contradict the Department's previous human rights reports, and
undermine the credibility of the United States as an impartial arbiter
destined to a leadership role in the OSCE Minsk Group peace process."
"These unprecedented assertions are both factually inaccurate and
counter-productive to our government's aim of reaching a durable
resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. To say that Nagorno
Karabakh is an Azerbaijani territory and that Armenia occupies Nagorno
Karabakh and other territories is to ignore the very fundamentals of
this conflict. These statements only serve to send the wrong message
to the Azerbaijani side and further complicate the peace negotiations,"
Ken Hachikian said.