US urges Turkey, Armenia to move ahead with reconciliation

US Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Phillip Gordon told reporters at the Global Security Forum in Bratislava on Thursday that the US has tried to encourage Turkey and Armenia to move forward, and that the US continues to do so because the administration believes that that is the true path to peace and stability and reconciliation in the region.

Gordon recalled that the United States has strongly supported the reconciliation process and he said he would be less than honest if he didn’t admit that that process is stalled.

“We strongly supported it. We thought it would be a step towards genuine reconciliation in the region that needs more genuine reconciliation. And it would contribute to further trust and peace and stability not just for Turkey and Armenia, but elsewhere as well,” Gordon stressed.

Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols in October in 2009 on establishment of diplomatic relations and normalization of ties, which also included the opening of borders two month after the protocols ratified in the countries’ parliaments. Turkey has shut down its borders with Armenia in a show of solidarity with Azerbaijan following Armenian military offense into Azerbaijani territories in early 1990s.

Azerbaijan initially protested the reconciliation and said any move in the region must put the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a priority. After Turkey requested Armenian authorities to display constructive moves during the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks for a breakthrough as a precondition for the ratification of the protocols, Armenia suspended the process on April 22 last year.

Asked about Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks, Gordon said he recently discussed the situation with US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg to assess and try to contribute to the situation. “The two countries through the Minsk Group process in which we are actively involved as co-chairs with the Russians and the French, actively promoting agreement on the basic principles that would again be a step towards peace between the two countries,” Gordon said.

US President Barack Obama has recently appointed Matthew Bryza, former OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, as an ambassador to Azerbaijan. Observers point to the interest of the US to help settle the conflict through appointment of Bryza.

Gordon said the Minsk Group co-chairs work very well together and he responded to allegations that the US has deferred the solution of the conflict excessively to Russia because more of the meetings between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents take place in Russia. He said that is true because geographically Russia is closer and it is easier for them to meet in Astarkhan or Sochi than to come to Chicago. “But we’re actively involved in the entire process. We feel the Russians are transparent with us and vice versa. We feel we have a common interest in avoiding conflict and promoting stability and energy flows and peace in the region. So we’re actively working on it,” US diplomat said.

Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders gathered in Russia’s Sochi city on Saturday under the auspices of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, where leaders expressed their intention to resolve all controversial questions in a peaceful manner. Leaders have also reportedly agreed that they will cooperate with OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to investigate border skirmishes, which leave tens of dead every year.

Armenian authorities reported on Saturday that one of his soldiers was killed just ahead of peace talks in Sochi and accused Azerbaijan of sabotaging the process. Baku remains silent. 

“Azerbaijan is seriously preparing to liberate its territories,” Safar Abiyev, Azerbaijani Defense Minister reportedly told the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group co-chairs last month. Azerbaijani president also frequently vows to resume war if Armenia fails to withdraw its troops from occupied Azerbaijani territories.

United Nations Security Council has adopted four consecutive resolutions condemning Armenian occupation and demanding the former Soviet republic to withdraw its troops from Azerbaijani territories.

Azerbaijan is a moderate Muslim country with rich oil and gas reserves on the Caspian basin and carries a strategic importance for energy security for Europe and the US.

The OSCE Minsk group has been mediating the peace talks for over 15 years but these talks have yet to yield any results. Azerbaijan adopted a $3.12 billion military budget on Oct. 22, which is the largest military budget in the region and slightly greater than the entire state budget of Armenia.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) warned earlier last month that there is a heightened possibility that Armenia and Azerbaijan could go to war and the ceasefire is more fragile than ever.