Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 30
By Elmira Tariverdiyeva - Trend:
The US fully supports the introduction of the OSCE investigation mechanism to verify the allegations of ceasefire violations along the line of contact of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, James Warlick, the US co-chairman from the OSCE Minsk Group, told News.am.
"We urge Armenia to heed Azerbaijan's calls to hold the negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group," he said. "This can contribute to the peaceful and lasting settlement."
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 the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by CN