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Azerbaijani diplomat: U.S. does not make enough efforts to resolve Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict Materials 18 November 2010 14:08 (UTC +04:00)
The United States has not made sufficient efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan's Consul General in Los Angeles Elin Suleymanov said.
Azerbaijani diplomat: U.S. does not make enough efforts to resolve Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov. 18 / Trend A.Gasimova /

The United States has not made sufficient efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan's Consul General in Los Angeles Elin Suleymanov said.

"Where we actually have a concern is that the U.S. is not showing enough effort on bringing about a peaceful settlement to Armenia.  We believe the U.S. can do more and should do more in pressuring Armenia to help us find a solution to the conflict," Suleymanov said in an interview with the Arizona Daily Wildcat.

Regarding the Azerbaijani-American cooperation, he noted the strategic nature of the relations between the two countries.

"Our troops are in Afghanistan and we have fought alongside U.S. troops in Iraq. Azerbaijan was one of the first nations to offer its support after 9/11," Suleymanov said.

"Azerbaijan and the U.S. have a very close relationship," he said. "I think we can never be too complacent. But, we need to work more to make it happen."

America has no ambassador in Azerbaijan for over a year, and that is not a healthy situation, he said.

The post of U.S. Ambassador in Baku has been left vacant since the previous ambassador, Ann Derse, left it in connection with the completion of her term in July 2009.

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 7 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 the 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.

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