James Warlick, former US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, considers premature the statement of the US ambassador to Armenia that the United States considers the safe life of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Armenians within Azerbaijan to be possible. According to the retired diplomat, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh should first be provided with assurances of security and protection of rights. Warlick expressed such a view on the air of "Factor of Power" program of Armenian News-NEWS.am.
"I don’t know the full context of the US ambassador’s statements. I saw them and I believe that her statements were premature. There need to be protections put in place for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, and certainly no talk of ethnic cleansing. This starts at the top with [Azerbaijani] president [Ilham] Aliyev, and he needs to give assurances that there will be no ethnic cleansing, that he will respect the rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, and that he is prepared to offer some sort of status within the territory of Azerbaijan for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh," emphasized the former US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, adding that all this has yet to happen.
According to Warlick, in a number of other issues that are part of the settlement, such as regional communications and transportation, those assurances need to be given, and the people of Nagorno-Karabakh need to fully accept that their rights are going to be protected in the future.
"Given the history of the relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan, of course both sides are going to be very skeptical and have reservations. But any talk of ethnic cleansing should be off the table, and there need to be assurances given that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh will be fully protected and have all of the rights of the people within the territory of Azerbaijan.," said Warlick.
Recently, on the air of Public Television of Armenia, referring to the opinions that if Artsakh is left as part of Azerbaijan, the safe and protected life of Armenians will be physically impossible, US Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien had stated that the United States believes and hopes that this is possible.
Later, in response to Armenpress's inquiry, the US Embassy in Yerevan stated that the United States does not predetermine the results of the negotiations on the future of Nagorno-Karabakh, but supports the signing of an agreement that will be lasting, stable, and provide the basis for peace.
And the Artsakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responding to the US ambassador's statement, had stressed that the mediators' approaches should not predetermine the outcome of the negotiations.
