James Warlick expects progress from Azerbaijan-Armenian FMs` meeting

  26 January 2015    Read: 940
James Warlick expects progress from Azerbaijan-Armenian FMs` meeting
The Minsk Group Co-Chairs continue to work with the sides at the highest levels on a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the group`s US co-chair James Warlick told. He was commenting on the Minsk Group`s future plans regarding the progress in the conflict`s resolution.
"There is no military solution to the conflict," Warlick said. "The path to lasting peace can and must be found at the negotiating table." The diplomat said that the co-chairs will meet with the foreign ministers of the two countries soon and are also working on arranging the meeting of the presidents this year.

"We expect the Presidents to uphold their commitment at the Paris Summit to continue their dialogue," Warlick said. However, renewed violence is a setback. We have seen reports of military incursions across the line of contact and resulting casualties. Such actions are destabilizing and only lead to more violence," he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 rmenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

More about:


News Line