U.S. urges Karabakh conflict sides to resume negotiationsJuly 14, 2020 - 10:55 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States joins the Minsk Group co-chairs in calling for the sides to resume substantive negotiations as soon as possible, the Department of State said in a statement on Monday, July 14. In the statement, the State Department said Washington condemns in the strongest terms the violence along the Armenia-Azerbaijan international border. "We urge the sides to stop using force immediately, use the existing direct communication links between them to avoid further escalation, and strictly adhere to the ceasefire." "As a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the United States remains strongly committed to helping the sides achieve a lasting, peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We will remain actively engaged in efforts to accomplish that goal." The statement also emphasized the importance of returning OSCE monitors to the region as soon as circumstances allow. Azerbaijan launched two failed infiltration attempts on the border with Armenia whose troops immediately identified the saboteurs and thwarted them back to their positions on Sunday. On Monday morning, the Azerbaijani military resumed provocations and continued firing on Armenian positions. On the Armenian side, two police officers and three contract servicemen have sustained slight injuries, while Azerbaijan has reported at least four deaths. Azerbaijan also fired from large caliber grenade launchers to target civilians' homes in border villages. A source told PanARMENIAN.Net , meanwhile, that The Armenian Armed Forces have now "occupied" a new position in the province of Tavush, which neutralizes the communication routes of one of the largest Azerbaijani bases in the region. Top stories The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. London’s Armenian community has been left feeling “under attack” after the city’s Genocide monument was vandalised. Partner news | Armenia to participate in key EU meeting for the first time ever National Assembly speaker Alen Simonyan has said that Armenia will for the first time participate in the Conference. Russia clarifying reports on Baku’s alleged arms supply to Ukraine Russia says is carefully working to verify reports about alleged arms supplies from Azerbaijan to Ukraine CSTO: Armenia has not participated in secretariat’s work recently Recently Armenia has not participated in the work of the secretariat of the CSTO, Imangali Tasmagambetov said. Meeting with U.S., EU not against third parties, says Armenia The meeting scheduled for April 5 is dedicated to strengthening of the Armenia-EU-US cooperation, Yerevan added. |