Matthew Bryza: "US State Department will not remake changes to its initial 2006 human rights report"

The US diplomat said after the Azerbaijani government postponed the high-level visit to Washington for the bilateral security talks, scheduled for April 23-24, he contacted Azerbaijani Foreign Minister. Mathew Bryza said he was disappointed at the agiotage over the changes to the initial 2006 State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.

He added US administration has not changed its policy on Nagorno Karabakh conflict, APA reports.

"Official Washington recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan," he said.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State refused to comment on the question "What is your assessment of the changes to the country report on Azerbaijan, which states that in 2006 Armenia continued to occupy the Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno Karabakh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories". But he said the State Department will not make changes to the report again.

Mathew Bryza said he wishes this unpleasant momentum be forgotten and bilateral security talks with Azerbaijan restored. He said they are close to the solution of basic principles in the talks on the Nagorno Karabakh with the mediation of OSCE Minsk Group.

The country report on Azerbaijan, posted on the State Department Web site, states that in 2006 "Armenia continued to occupy the Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno Karabakh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories".

The report on neighboring Armenia, however, says: "Armenian forces occupy large portions of Azerbaijani territory adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian officials maintain that they do not 'occupy' Nagorno Karabakh itself".

The State Department made these changes after the interference of American Armenian National Committee.

Therefore, Azerbaijani government postponed the high-level visit to US for bilateral security talks scheduled for April 23-24.