Azerbaijan, Baku, July 16 / Trend T. Hajiyev /
The U.S. is strongly committed to achieving a peace agreement on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, OSCE Minsk Group's U.S co-chairman Robert Bradtke told media in Baku.
"Last week U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton negotiated with Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents, urging them to approve the final basic principles of a peace agreement to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Bradtke said.
"We are in the middle of our mission, launched this week," the OSCE Misnk Group's French co-chairman Bernard Fassier said. "On Monday we met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Then, we had a meeting with OSCE Chairman-in Office Audronius Ažubalis in Vilnius. We have held talks with Azerbaijani officials in Baku. We will visit Yerevan today. On Monday, we will meet with the Armenian President and complete our mission."
Fassier declined to comment on the results of the meetings in Baku.
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.