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JOHN KERRY TO VISIT ARMENIA IN THE END OF CURRENT YEAR: U.S. AMBASSADOR: UPDATED
11:05, 4 March, 2014
YEREVAN, MARCH 4, ARMENPRESS. Now the United States wants further
expansion of its ties with Armenia more than ever and to become better
partners. In an exclusive interview to "Armenpress" News Agency,
the Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of Armenia John
Heffern introduced his viewpoint on the bilateral ties, current
changes in Armenia's business environment, the settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, and the frozen process of regulation of
the Armenian-Turkish relations.
- Mr. Ambassador, it's over two years Your are in Armenia, how do
You feel Yourself in Armenia?
- These have been wonderful two years and it has been a great
experience for me and my wife. My wife is now back in the States,
as there are some medical issues with our grandson, but we really
enjoyed our two years in Armenia, we had very valuable and fulfilling
time in here. What we like about it is it's a country, of course,
with many challenges, regional and domestic challenges, that makes
it interesting. There are also many opportunities, wonderful people,
talented people, who are doing their best to make this country as
successful as possible. And I want to be a port of that. The Embassy
is doing its best to be a part of that, to work, to promote the good
things about Armenia and where we see some shortcomings, challenges, we
try to be helpful to promote corrections. So that balance of challenges
and opportunities plus wonderful people that make it great to us.
- As an ordinary citizen, what are the issues that You have come across
here and what are the things that You would like to see addressed?
- Well, I think that I have left my private life back in Washington
and I am not sure I have much private life here. And I try not to speak
as a private citizen, but only a representative of the U.S. Government.
On the political side, of course, there are human rights issues, there
are issues with corruption and transparency. We have just issued human
rights report on these questions. So I hope that the Armenian people,
and the civil society, and the press, and the government authorities,
political parties, will read that report and will see where they can
do better.
But where there are problems in addition to being frank in our
assessment publicly we also try to be supportive on the independence of
the judiciary, election reforms, transparency, and anti-corruption. We
are trying to find partners here and work with partners here to
encourage and promote improvement in those areas. So again we try
to balance our criticism, frankly it is a criticism, with support
and encouragement. I think our biggest success, accomplishment in
last two and half years has been in deepening and improving our
bilateral economic, trade, and investment relationship. And Armenia
has improved the business climate. There is still work to do in that
areas certainly, but Armenia has improved its business climate to
encourage more western investment.
I have seen many new investments in the area of information
technology, computers, telecommunications, and I am confident they
will continue. In tourism in hotels a couple of new U.S. hotels
have opened up recently in Yerevan and outside of Yerevan. And very
importantly we were able to announce last month the signing of a very
important energy deal, the hydro deal, between Contour Global Company
and the Republic of Armenia on Vorotan Hydro Plant. A very important
U.S. investment, the biggest, if I am not wrong.
- Though You mentioned about the economic cooperation I would like You
just to elaborate more on this and speaking about the U.S.-Armenian
relations what do You think of these relations because Armenian
authorities take the U.S.
relations as at the highest level and also in addition to economic
cooperation what are the other areas that You are working?
As we of course see, under bilateral relationship just the diplomatic
relations you can measure a lot, I think, in terms of high level
dialogue and visits. Secretary former Clinton visited twice: first
time you had a Secretary here 18 years. And when Foreign Minister
Nalbandyan met the Secretary Kerry late last year, Secretary Kerry
hopes to come here sometime too and we hope to get him here sometime in
this year. But the substance of the relationship is more important than
the visits and meetings. We had a very productive bilateral economic
meeting in Washington late last year with those in November. And in
December we had a very productive high level defense consultation.
Our defense department sent high level officials here to be with your
Minister of Defense and Deputy Minister of Defense on a bilateral
defense consultation. Our goal is deepening the cooperation in
economic sphere and also in security field. We have a strong security
relationship, NATO has a strong security relationship with Armenia,
that is important to us and I hope to Armenia as well. And we want
to continue the dialogue around different questions.
A lot of people ask me what is our reaction to the present announcement
that Armenia intends to join the Customs Union.
Washington has been very clear that now than ever the United States
wants to improve its relationship with Armenia and be a better
partner. The President and Government of Armenia are very clear that
they want to continue their relationship with the European Union,
the USA and the Eastern Partners.
- Is the forthcoming visit of the Secretary of State John Kerry
regional? Could you please provide some details?
- I do not have any details on the visit. Kerry is very much interested
in the region; he is promoting the improvement of the relations
between Armenia and Turkey. The visit will be regional.
- Mr. Ambassador, you have already touched the issue, I wanted to
highlight. I was going to refer to the speech of the
Secretary of State John Kerry at the US Senate, where he mentioned
that the Armenian-Turkish normalization is one of the issues that are
on the agenda of the US foreign policy. Now what expectations could
we have when Turkey is speaking about the relations bringing forward
the preconditions and raising the issue of the third country?
- The former Secretary of State Clinton played quite an important role
in the protocol negotiations and a very courageous decision of the
presidents to agree to the signing of the protocols. And there are no
preconditions in those protocols for Armenia or Turkey, or even for
the third country. And we continue to push Turkey to implement the
protocols without preconditions and we respect the fact that Armenia
continues to keep the protocols on the book and does not withdraw
the protocols. That's very important that Armenia has maintained its
patience, even it has been for four years now, to try to conclude this
success. I will make the last point on that. One thing I have learnt
about Secretary Kerry is that he is not satisfied with the status-quo.
He does not believe that any conflict is too complicated to be solved.
He has progressed in any conflict. And that's why he has personally
taken the lead of the two most intractable issues in our foreign
policy.
It is Iran nuclear issue and the Middle East peace process and the
Palestinian negotiations. There is also push for all the regional
issues - Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia-Turkey, any regional issues and
challenges - he is pushing us to push the parties, that's you -
Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan - to push for improvement and the
reconciliation process of Armenia-Turkey and the unrelated question of
Nagorno Karabakh negotiations, Minsk Group and Azerbaijan-Armenia. So
thus you see that we are under the instructions from the Secretary
Kerry and Washington pushing the parties for compromise.
- We will speak about the Karabakh issue later. Now I have a question
about the Armenian-Turkish relations. Next year is the centennial of
the Armenian Genocide and the US is unique in the sense that every
year on the Remembrance Day a statement is made by the US president
and we appreciate it very much.
But those countries, which do not recognize and condemn the Genocide,
do not they contribute with this to other genocides?
- The president's statement is quite important and I am glad you
recognize and appreciate it. Since his presidency in his statements
Obama has never denied any of the facts. 1,5 million Armenians
massacred and that was one the most terrible tragedies of the 20th
century. So we recognize the facts and we acknowledge the condemnation
of the facts. The precise words and the policy decision the president
will make next year, I cannot predict them, as the statement text is
decided in Washington.
- Recently the LA city council recognized the independence of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic. This is not the first time the cities
or states of the United States have recognized it? So, what is the
importance of this kind of things? Will this eventually have an impact
on the US decision as a country to recognize the Nagorno Karabakh?
- We have a federal system of governance and city councils and states
make proclamations and pass resolutions on different issues. And
the federal government is not involved in those resolutions or
proclamations. There is also a separation of powers between the courts
and Congress and the executive branches. And we try to maintain
that separation as a part of our Constitution. So, sometimes it is
complicated to assess who is doing what in our complicated system. I am
focused on the executive branch, which does what the president and the
secretary of state tell me to do. But I want to deal a little bit with
the substance of your question. In the Nagorno Karabakh negotiations
we want and are deeply committed to peaceful resolution. As one of the
three Minsk Group co-chairs, we have been pushing for 18 years for the
peace resolution. And the outline of the deal is pretty clearly laid
out in the public documents, which the MG co-chairs have agreed to.
Because the two countries should come to a compromise and define a
peace resolution. The status-quo is not acceptable by anybody. And
when you look at it more broadly, the resolution of the Nagorno
Karabakh will actually improve Armenia's regional position. So I will
repeat that the Ambassador James Warlick is our lead person on this,
pushing very hard, pushing Armenia and Azerbaijan very hard. And
again I hope that the Armenian people will understand the reason he
is doing that and the reason the co-chairs are doing that to find a
peaceful resolution getting everybody involved.
- Mr. Ambassador, You mentioned for several times about the peaceful
resolution, peaceful negotiations. Living in Armenia and getting
acquainted with the situation closer, can we consider it a peaceful
situation, when the ceasefire regime is constantly being violated and
it's only one side that violates the ceasefire regime and casualties
are recorded on the border? Is it right to speak about peaceful
resolutions and peaceful negotiations in this situation?
- That's exactly why "status quo" is unacceptable and exactly why
we are pushing so hard for all parties to be creative and find the
peaceful resolution of this to solve the problem once and for all. And
the Co-Chairs' statements at the presidential level have been very
clear condemning all violations, military rhetoric, destabilizing
arms purchases, all of which we think make more difficult to find
that peaceful resolution we are all trying to find.
- Mr. Ambassador, it seems to me You have partially answered my next
question. Before and after the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign
Affairs of the two countries in Paris, the Azerbaijani President
again made bellicose statements and spoke about his desire to conquer
Karabakh. Isn't this today's major problem and isn't this standpoint
of the neighboring country, which undermines the peaceful negotiations?
- As You know President Sargsyan and President Aliyev met in Vienna
in November and both Presidents reported publicly and privately that
the atmosphere in that meeting was better, than it has been for a
long time. And so we are trying to build on that slight improvement in
atmosphere for future meetings of Foreign Ministers and the Presidents
with the Co-Chairs and without the Co-Chairs. You are sure right
that violations and military rhetoric does make the prospect for the
resolution more difficult, absolutely. That's why the Co-Chairs have
been so clear in their statements publicly and privately that it's
time to move behind that kind of rhetoric, beyond those violations,
to find the solution that everybody can accept for the benefits of all.
Interview by Hasmik Harutyunyan
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/752380/john-kerry-to-visit-armenia-in-the-end-of-current-year-us-ambassador-updated.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
11:05, 4 March, 2014
YEREVAN, MARCH 4, ARMENPRESS. Now the United States wants further
expansion of its ties with Armenia more than ever and to become better
partners. In an exclusive interview to "Armenpress" News Agency,
the Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of Armenia John
Heffern introduced his viewpoint on the bilateral ties, current
changes in Armenia's business environment, the settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, and the frozen process of regulation of
the Armenian-Turkish relations.
- Mr. Ambassador, it's over two years Your are in Armenia, how do
You feel Yourself in Armenia?
- These have been wonderful two years and it has been a great
experience for me and my wife. My wife is now back in the States,
as there are some medical issues with our grandson, but we really
enjoyed our two years in Armenia, we had very valuable and fulfilling
time in here. What we like about it is it's a country, of course,
with many challenges, regional and domestic challenges, that makes
it interesting. There are also many opportunities, wonderful people,
talented people, who are doing their best to make this country as
successful as possible. And I want to be a port of that. The Embassy
is doing its best to be a part of that, to work, to promote the good
things about Armenia and where we see some shortcomings, challenges, we
try to be helpful to promote corrections. So that balance of challenges
and opportunities plus wonderful people that make it great to us.
- As an ordinary citizen, what are the issues that You have come across
here and what are the things that You would like to see addressed?
- Well, I think that I have left my private life back in Washington
and I am not sure I have much private life here. And I try not to speak
as a private citizen, but only a representative of the U.S. Government.
On the political side, of course, there are human rights issues, there
are issues with corruption and transparency. We have just issued human
rights report on these questions. So I hope that the Armenian people,
and the civil society, and the press, and the government authorities,
political parties, will read that report and will see where they can
do better.
But where there are problems in addition to being frank in our
assessment publicly we also try to be supportive on the independence of
the judiciary, election reforms, transparency, and anti-corruption. We
are trying to find partners here and work with partners here to
encourage and promote improvement in those areas. So again we try
to balance our criticism, frankly it is a criticism, with support
and encouragement. I think our biggest success, accomplishment in
last two and half years has been in deepening and improving our
bilateral economic, trade, and investment relationship. And Armenia
has improved the business climate. There is still work to do in that
areas certainly, but Armenia has improved its business climate to
encourage more western investment.
I have seen many new investments in the area of information
technology, computers, telecommunications, and I am confident they
will continue. In tourism in hotels a couple of new U.S. hotels
have opened up recently in Yerevan and outside of Yerevan. And very
importantly we were able to announce last month the signing of a very
important energy deal, the hydro deal, between Contour Global Company
and the Republic of Armenia on Vorotan Hydro Plant. A very important
U.S. investment, the biggest, if I am not wrong.
- Though You mentioned about the economic cooperation I would like You
just to elaborate more on this and speaking about the U.S.-Armenian
relations what do You think of these relations because Armenian
authorities take the U.S.
relations as at the highest level and also in addition to economic
cooperation what are the other areas that You are working?
As we of course see, under bilateral relationship just the diplomatic
relations you can measure a lot, I think, in terms of high level
dialogue and visits. Secretary former Clinton visited twice: first
time you had a Secretary here 18 years. And when Foreign Minister
Nalbandyan met the Secretary Kerry late last year, Secretary Kerry
hopes to come here sometime too and we hope to get him here sometime in
this year. But the substance of the relationship is more important than
the visits and meetings. We had a very productive bilateral economic
meeting in Washington late last year with those in November. And in
December we had a very productive high level defense consultation.
Our defense department sent high level officials here to be with your
Minister of Defense and Deputy Minister of Defense on a bilateral
defense consultation. Our goal is deepening the cooperation in
economic sphere and also in security field. We have a strong security
relationship, NATO has a strong security relationship with Armenia,
that is important to us and I hope to Armenia as well. And we want
to continue the dialogue around different questions.
A lot of people ask me what is our reaction to the present announcement
that Armenia intends to join the Customs Union.
Washington has been very clear that now than ever the United States
wants to improve its relationship with Armenia and be a better
partner. The President and Government of Armenia are very clear that
they want to continue their relationship with the European Union,
the USA and the Eastern Partners.
- Is the forthcoming visit of the Secretary of State John Kerry
regional? Could you please provide some details?
- I do not have any details on the visit. Kerry is very much interested
in the region; he is promoting the improvement of the relations
between Armenia and Turkey. The visit will be regional.
- Mr. Ambassador, you have already touched the issue, I wanted to
highlight. I was going to refer to the speech of the
Secretary of State John Kerry at the US Senate, where he mentioned
that the Armenian-Turkish normalization is one of the issues that are
on the agenda of the US foreign policy. Now what expectations could
we have when Turkey is speaking about the relations bringing forward
the preconditions and raising the issue of the third country?
- The former Secretary of State Clinton played quite an important role
in the protocol negotiations and a very courageous decision of the
presidents to agree to the signing of the protocols. And there are no
preconditions in those protocols for Armenia or Turkey, or even for
the third country. And we continue to push Turkey to implement the
protocols without preconditions and we respect the fact that Armenia
continues to keep the protocols on the book and does not withdraw
the protocols. That's very important that Armenia has maintained its
patience, even it has been for four years now, to try to conclude this
success. I will make the last point on that. One thing I have learnt
about Secretary Kerry is that he is not satisfied with the status-quo.
He does not believe that any conflict is too complicated to be solved.
He has progressed in any conflict. And that's why he has personally
taken the lead of the two most intractable issues in our foreign
policy.
It is Iran nuclear issue and the Middle East peace process and the
Palestinian negotiations. There is also push for all the regional
issues - Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia-Turkey, any regional issues and
challenges - he is pushing us to push the parties, that's you -
Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan - to push for improvement and the
reconciliation process of Armenia-Turkey and the unrelated question of
Nagorno Karabakh negotiations, Minsk Group and Azerbaijan-Armenia. So
thus you see that we are under the instructions from the Secretary
Kerry and Washington pushing the parties for compromise.
- We will speak about the Karabakh issue later. Now I have a question
about the Armenian-Turkish relations. Next year is the centennial of
the Armenian Genocide and the US is unique in the sense that every
year on the Remembrance Day a statement is made by the US president
and we appreciate it very much.
But those countries, which do not recognize and condemn the Genocide,
do not they contribute with this to other genocides?
- The president's statement is quite important and I am glad you
recognize and appreciate it. Since his presidency in his statements
Obama has never denied any of the facts. 1,5 million Armenians
massacred and that was one the most terrible tragedies of the 20th
century. So we recognize the facts and we acknowledge the condemnation
of the facts. The precise words and the policy decision the president
will make next year, I cannot predict them, as the statement text is
decided in Washington.
- Recently the LA city council recognized the independence of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic. This is not the first time the cities
or states of the United States have recognized it? So, what is the
importance of this kind of things? Will this eventually have an impact
on the US decision as a country to recognize the Nagorno Karabakh?
- We have a federal system of governance and city councils and states
make proclamations and pass resolutions on different issues. And
the federal government is not involved in those resolutions or
proclamations. There is also a separation of powers between the courts
and Congress and the executive branches. And we try to maintain
that separation as a part of our Constitution. So, sometimes it is
complicated to assess who is doing what in our complicated system. I am
focused on the executive branch, which does what the president and the
secretary of state tell me to do. But I want to deal a little bit with
the substance of your question. In the Nagorno Karabakh negotiations
we want and are deeply committed to peaceful resolution. As one of the
three Minsk Group co-chairs, we have been pushing for 18 years for the
peace resolution. And the outline of the deal is pretty clearly laid
out in the public documents, which the MG co-chairs have agreed to.
Because the two countries should come to a compromise and define a
peace resolution. The status-quo is not acceptable by anybody. And
when you look at it more broadly, the resolution of the Nagorno
Karabakh will actually improve Armenia's regional position. So I will
repeat that the Ambassador James Warlick is our lead person on this,
pushing very hard, pushing Armenia and Azerbaijan very hard. And
again I hope that the Armenian people will understand the reason he
is doing that and the reason the co-chairs are doing that to find a
peaceful resolution getting everybody involved.
- Mr. Ambassador, You mentioned for several times about the peaceful
resolution, peaceful negotiations. Living in Armenia and getting
acquainted with the situation closer, can we consider it a peaceful
situation, when the ceasefire regime is constantly being violated and
it's only one side that violates the ceasefire regime and casualties
are recorded on the border? Is it right to speak about peaceful
resolutions and peaceful negotiations in this situation?
- That's exactly why "status quo" is unacceptable and exactly why
we are pushing so hard for all parties to be creative and find the
peaceful resolution of this to solve the problem once and for all. And
the Co-Chairs' statements at the presidential level have been very
clear condemning all violations, military rhetoric, destabilizing
arms purchases, all of which we think make more difficult to find
that peaceful resolution we are all trying to find.
- Mr. Ambassador, it seems to me You have partially answered my next
question. Before and after the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign
Affairs of the two countries in Paris, the Azerbaijani President
again made bellicose statements and spoke about his desire to conquer
Karabakh. Isn't this today's major problem and isn't this standpoint
of the neighboring country, which undermines the peaceful negotiations?
- As You know President Sargsyan and President Aliyev met in Vienna
in November and both Presidents reported publicly and privately that
the atmosphere in that meeting was better, than it has been for a
long time. And so we are trying to build on that slight improvement in
atmosphere for future meetings of Foreign Ministers and the Presidents
with the Co-Chairs and without the Co-Chairs. You are sure right
that violations and military rhetoric does make the prospect for the
resolution more difficult, absolutely. That's why the Co-Chairs have
been so clear in their statements publicly and privately that it's
time to move behind that kind of rhetoric, beyond those violations,
to find the solution that everybody can accept for the benefits of all.
Interview by Hasmik Harutyunyan
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/752380/john-kerry-to-visit-armenia-in-the-end-of-current-year-us-ambassador-updated.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress