The foreign ministers of both Armenia and Azerbaijan “perfectly realize” the positive role that the United States is playing to help continue the dialogue on Artsakh, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent said on Wednesday.
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The official’s remarks came in response to a question by Voice of America on the sidelines of an online forum organized by the German Marshall Fund.
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“We are deeply engaged in the process, helping to organize a dialogue between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in an effort to reach a peaceful settlement based on the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, including the non-use of force or threat of force, territorial integrity, as well as the right of peoples to self-determination. In the case of Artsakh, the parties have interpreted these principles differently,” the official said.
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Asked whether the United States shares Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s “phased settlement” plan, George Kent refrained from making any comments, stressing only that he recently heard only “useless remarks” by the Russian official regarding also the situation in Donbass after his meeting with the German and French foreign ministers.
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Referring to the reforms implemented in Armenia after the 2018 “Velvet Revolution”, including the plans to hold a constitutional referendum and the confiscation of property of illicit origin, George Kent emphasized. “What we are seeing today is a real step towards systemic changes. The question is how to ensure a fair judiciary if the judicial system was used as a political tool in the past. I think a more radical reform of the judiciary is proposed in Armenia. We advise the country to listen to the recommendations of the Venice Commission as a body that can provide the best advisory opinion,” he said, reaffirming the US support to Armenia in the process.
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H/T Panorama
BREAKING NEWS: U.S. ‘Deeply Engaged’ In Stepping Up Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue About Artsakh Peace Process.
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