Azerbaijan, Baku, June 7 / Trend M.Aliyev /
If the U.S. has the political will, it can seriously influence the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani parliament deputy chairman Bahar Muradova told reporters on Thursday.
"It is not worth widely touching upon U.S. influence in the settlement of conflicts in the world, since this role is obvious. If there is political will, the U.S. has the opportunity to influence the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Muradova said.
She said the statements made by Hillary Clinton, inspire some optimism, and a new U.S. attitude to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict gives hope for its settlement.
"This will be reflected in the ministerial meeting to be held in Paris. What is clear is that this problem is beginning to worry everyone. Without settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the U.S. will not be able to secure its interests in the region," Muradova said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent 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.