The U.S. will continue its high-level involvement through the Minsk Group to help Azerbaijan and Armenia find a peaceful and long-term solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon said at the Körber Foundation in Berlin, speaking about transatlantic cooperation on Jan.11.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
As Mediamax reported, Mr Gordon also said that the joint efforts of the U.S., EU and other international partners in the Caucasus have led to progress, despite the fact that territorial disputes and the need for further political and economic reforms remain obstacles to ensuring greater stability.
"Everywhere in the region, we will continue to insist on the necessity of democratic reforms and full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms," Mr Gordon said.
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