Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28
By Elmira Tariverdiyeva - Trend:
The tragic loss of life in the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan reminds us that there cannot be a military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State Jen Psaki said on Feb. 28.
During a daily press briefing, she was responding to the issue of the massacre in Khojaly town of Azerbaijan committed by Armenian troops in 1992.
"Only a lasting and peaceful settlement can bring stability and prosperity and reconciliation to the region," she said. "As a co-chair of the Minsk Group, the United States remains firmly committed to working with the sides, both sides, to achieve peace."
On February 25-26, 1992 Armenian occupation forces together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops stationed in Khankendi committed an act of genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly.
Some 613 people were killed, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people. A total of 1,000 civilians were disabled during the genocide.
Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both.
Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostages, while the fate of 150 people remains unknown.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.