Azerbaijan , Baku, March 4 / Trend/
U.S. Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Phillip Gordon does not agree with claims that Russia, by initiating a meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, is gradually taking "control" over the process of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement.
Gordon made the statement when answering the questions of participants at the Bratislava Global Security Forum, Mediamax reported.
Gordon said Russia is geographically located closer to the conflicting parties, and it is easier to organize a meeting in Sochi, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Astrakhan, than in faraway Washington.
Russia acts transparently and informs the United States and France on the details of all meetings, he said.
Gordon said the co-chairs trust each other in this issue because they act from the standpoint of safeguarding common interests.
"And these interests are the need for comprehensive security in Europe," he 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 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.