U.S. reopens demands for change in Karabakh status quo

By AzerNews

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his dissatisfaction with the continuing position of the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

This is said in a congratulatory letter to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in connection with his re-election, Tert.am reported on Tuesday.

"I am willing to help your country find a peaceful and negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and ask you to continue assisting the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. We cannot be satisfied with the status quo. We should find the moment to ensure visible support in peace process," the message said.

Presidential elections were held in Armenia on Feb.18.

Kerry also said earlier that the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was unacceptable and promised that the U.S. would continue to be closely involved in the conflict resolution process during his tenure. He said that as before, the U.S. will continue to be committed to find a peaceful and sustainable settlement of the long-standing dispute through the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Lasting settlement of the conflict can only be ensured through an agreement reached by peaceful means, Kerry said.

Besides, the spokesperson for the Department of State, Victoria Nuland said recently that the U.S. remains firmly committed to working with the sides of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a co-chair of the Minsk Group.

She stressed that only a lasting and peaceful settlement can bring about stability, prosperity, and reconciliation in the region.

The latest meeting between the mediators of the Minsk Group -- whose co-chairs the United States, France and Russia are mediating the peace process -- and the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia was held on January 28.

The OSCE mediators stated that the sides had reiterated their support for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and their determination to continue the peace negotiations.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since the lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.

The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenia's withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but Armenia has not followed them to this day.

Peace negotiations are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the Madrid Principles, also known as Basic Principles. The document envisions a return of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control; determining the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh; a corridor linking Armenia to the region; and the right of all internally displaced persons to return home.