US and Russian presidents George Bush and Vladimir Putin will discuss the Upper Garabagh conflict in Bratislava, Slovakia in February, along with other issues, says US Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Elizabeth Jones. The two presidents will call for stepping up activity in resolving conflicts in the former Soviet Union countries, including the Garabagh problem, she said. (19-JAN-2005)


Jones also said the Bush administration is concerned over the lack of efforts being taken by Moscow in this area.

Protracted conflict
“Russia should be interested in maintaining stability in Upper Garabagh, North Ossetia, Abkhazia and Dnestr, fighting corruption there and driving ´criminal elements´ out of power.” A while ago political analysts voiced their hopes for the settlement of the Upper Garabagh conflict, saying that this will depend on whether or not Bush will make resolution of conflicts in CIS a priority in US foreign policy.

Memorandum
The United States is obviously keeping focus on the existing conflicts in the once-powerful former Soviet Union. Several days ago Bush forwarded to the US Secretary of State a memorandum extending the suspension of Section 907″ to the Freedom Support Act which bans direct US assistance to Azerbaijan. The document says that the step was taken considering Azerbaijan´s support in combating terrorism, the interests of the coalition partners, the US extends the suspension of Section 907. The US president said that this will not impede the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace talks and will not be directed against Armenia.
Section 907 was passed in 1992 and suspended for the first time by the US president in January 2002.

´Unequivocally support´
US Secretary of State Colin Powell, in a reciprocal letter to Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, stated US support for Azerbaijan´s territorial integrity.
“The United States unequivocally supports Azerbaijan´s territorial integrity. The Upper Garabagh conflict must be fully resolved through peace talks being held by the two sides, considering their positions.”

Fact-finding mission
Powell expressed his gratitude for Azerbaijan´s letter, which lays out an initiative to discuss the situation in the occupied Azeri land at the United Nations. He added that the US is pleased to be a part of the fact-finding mission to visit occupied Azerbaijani territories [to look into the illegal settlement of Armenians] and is looking forward to getting estimates from experts. Powell termed as reassuring ´the important steps´ taken by the two countries during the Prague meetings of Azeri and Armenian foreign ministers and those between the two presidents in Warsaw and Astana.