Details and background added after the first paragraph (the first version was posted at 13:16)
Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb.24 / Trend, E.Tariverdiyeva /
U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza considers the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the establishment of peace in the region to be the main task in the South Caucasus region.
"There is no more important issue in this region than the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the context of establishing peace in the region," Bryza said on Thursday.
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 United States - 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.
He said this issue will be in the focus of attention during U.S. First Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg's visit to Azerbaijan.
In addition, Bryza said Steinberg will discuss anti-corruption issues with the Azerbaijani side and meet with civil society representatives.
Steinberg will arrive in Baku on Feb. 24. He will be accompanied by Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon during his regional tour.
"The United States will continue its policy of promoting democracy, and today we will discuss with representatives of companies how to do so, so that everyone feels the benefits of economic growth," Bryza, who attends the meeting of the Azerbaijan-American Chamber of Commerce, said.