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U.S. set to continue working with Karabakh conflict parties

29 September 2017 12:32 (UTC+04:00)
U.S. set to continue working with Karabakh conflict parties

By Rashid Shirinov

The United States supports the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and will continue to work actively with the parties as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia told local media on September 28.

The Embassy noted that the United States adheres to the policy adopted by the Minsk Group – a just settlement must be based on the provisions of international law: the Helsinki Final Act, principles of non-use of force or threat of force, territorial integrity, and right of peoples to self-determination.

The embassy added that Andrew Schaeffer, the newly appointed U.S. co-chair of the Minsk Group, will continue to represent the United States in the process of the MG activities.

The U.S, Russia and France are the co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group established to broker a peace to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

The Minsk Group organized a meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers in New York on September 23. At the meeting, the parties discussed the current situation in the conflict zone and exchanged views on the settlement of the conflict. They also mulled the organization of a meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents in the near future.

U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta has recently noted that the U.S. is committed to a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and that a visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to the region is expected in the near future.

The American co-chair Andrew Schaefer, also noted that he hopes to visit the region in the coming weeks.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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