Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The U.S. seeks strengthening of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is brokering settlement of the long-standing Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The statement has been made by US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar.

"The United States supports the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We know that the existing status quo, the occupation of a part of the country is unacceptable," the ambassador said at the final session of an Azerbaijan-U.S. forum in Baku.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. Peace talks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs representing the United States, Russia and France have been largely fruitless so far.

Morningstar went on to say that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict unites all Azerbaijanis.

"After nine months in Azerbaijan I realized that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict unites the people of Azerbaijan, and the tragedies of the conflict are the tragedies of the whole nation," Morningstar said.

According to the US envoy, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group will not be able to reach a settlement to the conflict on their own.

"I believe that the issue of strengthening the OSCE Minsk Group should be put on the agenda. Confidence-building steps should be taken for each of the countries involved. At a time the people are not ready for certain compromises for reaching peace, it will not be reached," the ambassador said.

Morningstar believes the participation of civil society in Azerbaijan and Armenia in the peace process is very important.

"Apart from the Minsk Group, the so-called 'second-tier diplomacy' should be applied. International and local NGOs should contribute to reaching peace," the ambassador added.

Peace negotiations are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the Madrid Principles, also known as Basic Principles. The document envisions a return of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control; determining the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh; a corridor linking Armenia to the region; and the right of all internally displaced persons to return home.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said that the U.S. supports Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution.

He stressed that unfortunately, despite the four resolutions of the UN Security Council, Azerbaijani territory is still under occupation.

The UNSC's resolutions urge Armenia's withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but Armenia has not followed them to this day.

The Azerbaijani foreign minister said the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict directly affects the development of the region.

"About a million refugees have not returned to their homes. The Armenian authorities' actions hurt not only Baku, but also the people of Armenia and the development of the entire region," Mammadyarov said.