YEREVAN (Yerkir)–Responding to outgoing US Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Jones’s recent statement concerning Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR)–Grisha Hayrapetian–a member of the MKR Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Central Committee (CC)–said that the commen’s are "extremely damaging to the peace process."
On Wednesday–Jones called for increased US engagement in resolving regional conflicts in the former Soviet Union–stating: "It is in Russia’s interest for these areas–for Transnistria–Abkhazia–South Ossetia–Mountainous Karabagh–to be stable–for corruption to end there–for the criminal secessionists who rule there to be removed. It is not appropriate for this kind of instability and criminality to exist right in the middle of Europe."
In the article that appeared in the newspaper Aparazh–Hayerapetian emphasized that Jones’s statement contradicts those of high-ranking US officials who have repeatedly said that democratic process in MKR has advanced significantly–specifically in contrast to the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijan.
He also stressed that the removal of any given country’s leadership remains an internal issue for citizens to decide through free elections.