Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.21
By Emil Ismayilov, Sabina Ahmadova - Trend:
The US intends to assist Azerbaijan and Armenia in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, US Charge d'Affaires in Azerbaijan Dereck Hogan said at the "Oil and Gas Week 2014" international conference in Baku Nov. 21.
He said that the US is the co-chairing country of the OSCE Minsk Group.
"We intend to assist the sides in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peacefully," he said.
"The US support in holding the meetings of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Sochi and Paris, as well as a meeting between US Secretary of State John Kerry and both presidents testify that the US fully supports the sides in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
edited by CN