Peace settlement of Karabakh conflict has no alternativeJuly 4, 2010 - 22:52 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the principles for the Karabakh conflict settlement remain unchanged and are based on the Helsinki Act: non-use of force, territorial integrity and people's right to self-determination. The U.S. is ready to help the sides reach a peace agreement, Clinton said during a briefing in Yerevan. "It is difficult, but achievable. The OSCE Minsk Group is actively working on it. Besides the recent statement of the Co-Chairmen, both Armenia and Azerbaijan understand that there is no other way. Rather serious negotiations took place between Presidents Sargsyan and Aliyev in Saint Petersburg, and we hope for a progress," the U.S. Secretary of State noted. In addition, she noted that the U.S. has repeatedly voiced concern over attempts of military resolution of the problem. "We told the two Presidents that force is unacceptable and the U.S., along with the Co-Chairmen, condemns the recent incident, during which servicemen has died. We urge the sides to follow the ceasefire regime. Its violation only delays the peace process, which has no alternative," stressed Clinton. For his part, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian noted that negotiations between the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers will be held on July 16 on the sidelines of an informal meeting of OSCE Foreign Ministers in Astana. 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. Top stories The Cabinet of Ministers decided on Thursday, November 9 to allocated AMD 120 million to arrange the gathering. Michael Roth believes sanctions must be put on the table after Baku‘s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Yerevan City Council has elected Tigran Avniyan from the ruling Civil Contract as the mayor of the Armenian capital. The Armenian Parliament on Tuesday, October 3 voted to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. |