U.S. to appoint Matthew Bryza Azerbaijan envoy: report
The United States intends to delegate Matthew Bryza, the former
co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group brokering settlement to the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh, to Baku
as its ambassador, to ensure that normalization of the
Turkey-Armenia relations continues with "silent diplomacy" and
secure Azerbaijan’s joining the process in the future, Turkish
Hurriyet newspaper reported.
The report said Bryza’s primary goal will be to achieve progress in Garabagh settlement and to secure opening of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, which would eliminate the biggest hurdle standing in the way of reopening the Turkish-Armenian border, which remains shut.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds for decades. In a bid to end the long-standing hostility, the two governments signed protocols in Zurich on October 10, 2009 to establish diplomatic relations and reopen their borders. However, the documents require parliamentary approval, and Ankara has ruled out normalization with Yerevan until progress is made in settling the conflict between Armenia, which occupies part of Azerbaijani territory, and Azerbaijan, Turkey’s ally.
Hurriyet said the White House’s appointing Bryza as its envoy to Azerbaijan would be a crucial step, considering that he reportedly plays a key role in closed-door meetings on Ankara-Yerevan reconciliation and Garabagh conflict resolution.
The report said, further, that with Bryza’s delegation to Baku, Washington is expected to begin pursuing a more vigorous diplomacy with Azerbaijan and Armenia. It said diplomatic sources are convinced that to expedite the Turkish-Armenian normalization process, Bryza will be restraining Baku from putting pressure on Ankara.
"Bryza, who supports normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations, is known as an opponent of the "one nation, two states" principle stated by Azerbaijani leaders about Turkey and as a proponent of altering this way of thinking."
Bryza co-chaired the Minsk Group from 2006-2009.
Bryza was previously expected to be appointed US ambassador to the Greek Cyprus, but the White House plan fell through after the Greek administration opposed the post being held by a diplomat whose wife is Turkish.
Bryza married prominent Turkish analyst Zeyno Baran in August 2007.*
The report said Bryza’s primary goal will be to achieve progress in Garabagh settlement and to secure opening of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, which would eliminate the biggest hurdle standing in the way of reopening the Turkish-Armenian border, which remains shut.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds for decades. In a bid to end the long-standing hostility, the two governments signed protocols in Zurich on October 10, 2009 to establish diplomatic relations and reopen their borders. However, the documents require parliamentary approval, and Ankara has ruled out normalization with Yerevan until progress is made in settling the conflict between Armenia, which occupies part of Azerbaijani territory, and Azerbaijan, Turkey’s ally.
Hurriyet said the White House’s appointing Bryza as its envoy to Azerbaijan would be a crucial step, considering that he reportedly plays a key role in closed-door meetings on Ankara-Yerevan reconciliation and Garabagh conflict resolution.
The report said, further, that with Bryza’s delegation to Baku, Washington is expected to begin pursuing a more vigorous diplomacy with Azerbaijan and Armenia. It said diplomatic sources are convinced that to expedite the Turkish-Armenian normalization process, Bryza will be restraining Baku from putting pressure on Ankara.
"Bryza, who supports normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations, is known as an opponent of the "one nation, two states" principle stated by Azerbaijani leaders about Turkey and as a proponent of altering this way of thinking."
Bryza co-chaired the Minsk Group from 2006-2009.
Bryza was previously expected to be appointed US ambassador to the Greek Cyprus, but the White House plan fell through after the Greek administration opposed the post being held by a diplomat whose wife is Turkish.
Bryza married prominent Turkish analyst Zeyno Baran in August 2007.*
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