YEREVAN (RFE/RL)—Washington’s top Nagorno-Karabakh negotiator hinted Friday the OSCE Minsk Group continues to uphold the Karabakh Armenians’ right to determine their status in a referendum.
“What I can not tell you today is when the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh will be determined through a vote,” said the US Minsk Group Co-chair Matthew Bryza said.
“But you did not hear me say that Nagorno-Karabakh will be returned to Azerbaijan. I never said that. I just said that the interim status will be determined now and the final legal status will be determined by the people of Karabakh,” added Bryza.
The US official insisted Friday that Armenia and Azerbaijan remain “very close” to ending their long-running territorial dispute as he began a fresh tour of the region aimed at keeping up the momentum in the peace process.
Bryza met President Serzh Sarkisian to discuss ways of overcoming the conflicting parties’ remaining disagreements over a framework peace accord drafted by the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the Minsk Group. Sarkisian’s office released no details of the meeting.
Sarkisian and his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, apparently failed to bridge their differences during their most recent talks held in Moscow on July 17-18. The mediators hope that the two leaders will achieve a breakthrough at their next meeting due in October.
“There was no formal agreement [at Moscow,] but they are very close,” Bryza said, speaking at a youth forum held in the Armenian resort town of Tsaghkadzor later in the day. He expressed hope that “we will be at the point of this agreement on the last few elements of the basic principles that remain not yet agreed” after the co-chairs visit the conflict zone in late September.
Bryza and the two other Minsk Group co-chairs met in Krakow, Poland late last month to prepare what they call an “updated version” of their proposed basic principles of a Karabakh settlement. The U.S. official said their consultations were based “what the presidents discussed in Moscow and what they told us co-chairs after their meeting.”
A read of our history does not inspire confidence of those who are intent on determining our future. The future of Artsakh must be determined by the people of Artsakh. I suggest that in the absence of an Artsakh delegation at the peace talks, that the Armenian delegation indicate to the negotiators that upon every new proposal, they need to recess and discuss the issue with the duly elected representatives of the people of Artsakh.
Where did this clown come from?
“Yea, did you here me say that Armenia will be capitulated, and the Armenian race will be wiped out from Anatolia? No, I did not say that, I only said that we will decide on the interim government status of Armenia based on goodwill of Ankara, and then in near future we will complete the eradication of all the leftover organizations or “hurdles” in the region…”
What does this guy think we are? Idiots?
I strongly believe the settlement of the territories and the vote on Karabakh should be in one package. It doesn’t make any sense to divide them up. Aliyev can take the entire package or leave it. If he ever threatens war, we will state that afte any attack the border between Karabakh and Azerbaijan will be determined by Azeri skulls.
Bryza is an ultimate politician. He talks from the both sides of his mouth. Who would trust him?????
Only Armenian unity will show our strength and determination of Armenian people to those Planners and politicians of outside world..
The divider of the lands, Armenia and Artsakh was the communist Stalin, he did that in favor of himself and the Azeries. Are today mediators will fallow him! I hope not, the outcome of the results, will tell us if they have done it so. For me, firstly this issue does not only concern and belongs to the people of Artsakh alone, but to all Armenians, as well as to all just persons and peoples, no mater where they are living on this world. Artsakh for long time, suffered greatly under occupation of Azeries, it must be returned back home, to Armenia where it once originally belonged to, just as it was before the time of the Stalin.
The focus of the discussion needs to be that there can not be any lasting solution in the absence of the government of Artsakh. Saying that the people of Artsakh will determine the future status; yet they are not represented in the proceedings does not connect. Armenia needs to take a firmer stand on this issue and take back the public relations battle. We hear lots of comments from the powers on territorial integrity, but not nearly the same on the principle of self-determination. We know why, but we need to relentlessly counter
with the historical and current facts that led to this struggle. The soul of this government is on the table. We need to worry less about the diplomatic rhetoric that is a part of this proceess and more about our unity as a people. Azerbaijan has no legal, moral or historical claim to Artsakh, they have defined their presence as an oppressor and we all know what the future of Artsakh(and perhaps Armenia) will be if it has any relationship to Azerbaijan. Self-determination is more than a romantic notion. The heroes of Artsakh understand this well
and has earned the right to sit at the table.
Matthew Bryza knows things that only few Armenians are able to guess what he knows.
Bryza knows Kocharyan’s cards; he knows Sargsyan’s cards. What he does not know is the Artzakh soul.
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I mean look at his face. he looks like a snake oil salesman. how much longer will we be disrespected and interests trampled on before we take a firm stand? everytime we have trusted turks the animal has bit the hand that fed it. now some weak leaders along with a weaker, vindictive and bad intentioned hak opposition are feeding the animals who come from all around the globe to trample.
Matthew Bryza must not be allowed in Armenia as well as in Artsakh. Armenian media should stop respecting him by asking questions.
Armenians have no land for donation. The liberated territories are the key for the future of all Armenians.
Retuning any part of the liberated territories would mean that all Armenia and Artsakh can be taken next.
Artsakh’s future is already determined. They don’t need any third party thousands of miles away to make that vital decision for them.