'U.S. urges Karabakh conflict sides to prepare their populations for peace'

As a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the United States remains firmly committed to assisting the sides in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict reach a lasting and peaceful settlement, the U.S. State Department reported on its website.

"There is no military solution to this conflict. We urge the sides to prepare their populations for peace, not war, and to refrain from any provocative rhetoric or actions on the ground," the U.S. State Department 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.


/Trend/