Azerbaijan mainly seeks control over land surrounding Karabakh: U.S.

May 18, 2016 - 12:56 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijan’s overwhelming objective is to get control of the land surrounding Nagorno Karabakh, a senior State Department official told a background briefing prior to a meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents on Monday, May 16.

“That’s very possible as part of a comprehensive settlement,” the official said.

“For Armenia, the issue is the status [of Nagorno Karabakh]. And they can get this status also as a part of a comprehensive settlement.”

According to the official – whose name is not mentioned – Azerbaijan was the one to initially oppose additional monitors on the contact line.

“They opposed any confidence-building measures that they believed perpetuated the status quo,” the official said.

After the meeting in Vienna, however, the sides agreed to take steps to install mechanisms for monitoring and investigating ceasefire violations, increase the capacity of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office's team, also pledging to work towards a possible renewal of the negotiation process.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.