Armenia expects active U.S. mediation in Karabakh issue: President

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia expects active mediation by the United States in the Nagorno Karabakh peace process, President Serzh Sargsyan said Saturday, July 2 as he congratulated U.S. leader Barack Obama on America's Independence Day.

“We greatly appreciate the U.S. engagement in the Karabakh conflict settlement as a Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group,” he said.

“The diplomatic efforts that followed the full-fledged military operation of Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh in early April have once again stressed the key role of the United States in the peace process. Like the Minsk Group co-chairing countries, we are strongly convinced that the maintenance of the unlimited-in-time trilateral ceasefire agreements of 1994-1995 and the implementation of steps leading to the establishment of an environment conducive to negotiations would serve as a strong foundation for the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict through exclusively peaceful means. We expect that the United States, jointly with the other co-chair countries - Russia and France - will continue the active mediation mission towards the establishment of a stable and lasting peace in the region.”

“Early next year, we will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between our nations,” Sargsyan added.

“Armenia-U.S. relations have always been marked by mutual trust and respect.”

Also Saturday, Sargsyan visited the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia to congratulate the envoy on the holiday.