United States says deeply concerned over recent violations in Karabakh

PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States is deeply concerned over the recent violations of the ceasefire, which have resulted in multiple casualties on the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact over the last week, the Department of State said in a statement.

"We urge the sides to avoid escalation and encourage immediate consideration of measures to reduce tensions along the Line of Contact and the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan," the statement said.

In their statement released June 19, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs called upon the parties to re-engage in negotiations on substance, in good faith, and with political will. The Co-Chairs further underscored that such negotiations are the only way to bring a lasting peace to the people of the region, who expect and deserve progress toward settlement of the conflict.

"The United States continues to engage intensely with the sides. Our longstanding policy, shared by the Minsk Group co-chairs, is that a just settlement must be based on international law, which includes the Helsinki Final Act, in particular the principles of non-use of force, territorial integrity, and self-determination," the State Department's statement concluded.