Azernews.Az

BAKU - United States, French and Russian leaders called on Armenia and Azerbaijan on Thursday to move toward a peaceful resolution of the long-standing conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, Reuters reported.

Nagorno-Karabakh proclaimed so-called independence from Muslim Azerbaijan with the support of Christian Armenia as the Soviet Union fell, but the past two years have seen the worst clashes on the frontline since the 1994 ceasefire ended a war which killed more than 30,000. 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory has been under Armenian occupation since the war.

"We...are convinced that it is time for the sides in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh to take a decisive step toward a peaceful resolution (of the conflict)," said a joint statement by Presidents Barack Obama, Nicolas Sarkozy and Dmitry Medvedev at the G8 summit in the French resort of Deauville.

The Minsk Group co-chairing countries emphasized that the use of force led to the current situation of confrontation and instability. "Its repeated use will bring more suffering and devastation," they said.

"We firmly call on the leaders of the sides to prepare their people for peace, not war," the statement said.

"We call on the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia to demonstrate political will and finalize...the basic principles (of a peace agreement) during the forthcoming summit in June. The further delay will only put the commitment of the parties to reach the agreements under a question."

The presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are slated to meet in June in the Russian city of Kazan, the next in a series of trilateral meetings on the frozen conflict.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a six-year war over the territory that began before the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and ended with the 1994 ceasefire.

Mediators from Russia, the United States and France have led negotiations over the issue but little progress has been made.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, who has ramped up his country's military power with recent arms deals, has said Azerbaijan is willing to go to war with Armenia to regain Nagorno-Karabakh.