U.S. voices support to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution through negotiations
By Rashid Shirinov
The United States supports the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through negotiations, said Elizabeth Trudeau, spokeswoman of the U.S. State Department
“As a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group [mediating for peaceful resolution of the conflict], we continue to engage actively with the sides,” she noted during a briefing on October 3.
Trudeau also stressed that the fair settlement must be based on international law, including the principles of the Helsinki Final Act – non-use of force or the threat of force, territorial integrity.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the 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.
While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.
Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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