U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien has qualified her statement, made during a July 3 interview with Armenia state TV1, that the U.S. believes it is possible to ensure the security of the people of Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan.

Kvien, commenting on this assertion to ArmenPress, now says the U.S. cannot presuppose the results of negotiations on the future of Nagorno Karabakh.

“The United States supports an agreement that is durable, sustainable, and lays the foundations for peace. The question of the rights and security of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh is central to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.  Ultimately ensuring that this population can feel secure in their homes and have their rights protected is the only way to guarantee a lasting settlement to a conflict that has lasted too long and cost too many lives.” Kvien told Armenpress.

The Artsakh Foreign Ministry, responding to Kvien’s original statement, issued the following.

"The search for a fair, balanced and dignified settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict should not have artificial limitations, but should be based on the norms and principles of international law, including the right of peoples to equality and self-determination, as stipulated by the UN Charter.”