The Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandyan States that the U.S. stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is known and clear; it follows three principles: self-determination, territorial integrity and non-use of force. This is the minister’s conception of that part of the annual report of the U.S. State Department which states that the Armenian radicals and separatists supervise Nagorno-Karabakh which is a part of Azerbaijan. And since the Armenian foreign minister thinks that the U.S. stance on this issue is based on 3 principles, it did not occur to him to express dissatisfaction in relation with the State Department report. Moreover, addressing the National Assembly, Edward Nalbandyan said what is Stated in the report is not the U.S. official opinion.

The U.S. State Department turns out to be an LTD or and NGO which presents some report every year, which have nothing to do with the official stance of the United States. It is interesting, why the Armenian government expressed its disagreement with that part of the report concerning the democracy in Armenia, and on the contrary, did not utter a word on that part regarding Karbakh, not considering it the official stance of the U.S.

I wonder whether the Americans know that the State Department does not express the official Washington’s stance. If they do not, they should follow attentively Edward Nalbandyan’s speeches and they will be able to perceive completely the structure of their government. Perhaps, they will get to know that the reports of the State Department are just registered concerts: who will order an opinion will be included in the State Department report for a certain sum, sure the State Department is not obliged of giving a cash register ticket. The official Washington may not have paid to the State Department for an opinion this year, which is why the report did not express its stance. The Armenian foreign ministry had better tell a few words on whose stances were there in the report. Just for interest. Those may be Ilham Aliev’s personal opinions. Who knows? Sure we should know everything about it for public not to dispose against the U.S. because of the State Department, just because of a misunderstanding. After all, the U.S. gave us an assistance of 2 billions since the independence. The point is that it is not enough to say that this is not the official stance of the U.S. in order to disperse the public’s doubts. Meanwhile, the Armenian society cannot permit groundless suspects towards a country like the U.S.

JAMES HAKOBYAN

16:55:53 - 19/03/2009
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