The United States supports efforts aimed at establishment of trust between Armenia and Azerbaijan and expansion of dialogue, Acting Deputy Chief of U.S. Mission to OSCE Gregory Macris said in an address during the session of the OSCE Permanent Council.
Below are excerpts from Macris’ statement.
The United States welcomes the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group, together with the Chairmanship’s Personal Representative, to the Permanent Council. As a Co-Chair country, the United States reiterates our strong support for your work, and we appreciate your steadfast engagement with the sides to advance a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The United States is encouraged by recent constructive contacts by the sides at the levels of heads of state and foreign ministers. These contacts appear to be paying direct and positive dividends. All three Co-Chairs and the CiO’s Personal Representative reported today a decrease in violence along the Line of Contact and in conflict-affected areas over the past two months.
The sides should seize the opportunity this opening presents and find ways to move the settlement process forward. The Co-Chairs suggested a number of actions the sides can take to further reduce tensions and improve communication. The United States supports these recommendations. Likewise, the United States supports measures to reduce tensions along the Line of Contact such as expanding the monitoring capacity of the CiO’s Personal Representative and establishing an investigative mechanism. The United States believes that a meeting between the Foreign Ministers can bring renewed impetus to the discussions on the implementation of these measures.
This conflict has gone on far too long. It is time for the sides to refrain from mutual accusations and recriminations and prepare their populations for peace. The United States supports confidence-building measures and increased dialogue between Armenians and Azerbaijanis that can stabilize the security situation and create a more constructive atmosphere for negotiations. Those participating in dialogue must be able to do so freely, without fear of harassment or recrimination when they return home.
We attach great importance to resolving conflicts in the OSCE area, including the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with the strong engagement of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. That is why the United States has sent high-level envoys such as National Security Advisor John Bolton and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent to Armenia and Azerbaijan in recent weeks.
Ambassador Kasprzyk, we welcome your assessment of the situation on the ground, and the efforts of your team to promote transparency and confidence among the sides. This work is indispensable and has our full support. We appreciate your close collaboration with the Italian Chair in supporting the Co-Chairs’ mediation efforts and stabilizing the situation on the ground.
The United States shares the view that there can be no military solution to this conflict. The status quo is unacceptable. The United States is committed to working with the sides to find a lasting and peaceful resolution, one based on the principles shared by participating States of non-use of force, territorial integrity, and equal rights and self-determination of peoples, as embraced in the Helsinki Final Act.
I wouldn’t trust anyone with a mug shot like that!
First, there is no territorial integrity? The Illegal treaty of Kars under Soviet misrule gave away ancient Armenian lands to a newly created oil gas station outpost called Azerbaijan, which is ruled by Asian invading nomad Turks who don’t belong there in the first place.. Once the Soviet system ended, so does all its treaties. There is NO territory that legally belongs to Azerbaijan.. If you want to talk about territorial integrity, lets talk western Armenia, currently being occupied by Seljuk Turks via the mass genocide and theft, which was the main purpose of the genocide, of the original owners now being called Turkey..Second, what about the hundreds of thousands of Armenians who fled Azerbaijan with NOTHING? What about their rights? Their property? The Armenian leadership never mentions them in any negotiations. What a mistake. ..Trust the USA ZERO. Its foreign policy is a sham hijacked by special interest and has been for over a century. No one wants war but Armenia needs to be prepared for that possibility at all times. The Turks will not stop ever. Coming to terms or reconciliation is not part of Turkish DNA. Turks only understand opportunity and their own possible demise as a deterrent. Armenia needs to also incorporate diaspora military units. It needs to expand its military capabilities.. More importantly all Armenians need to unite as one Armenia, Artsakh and diaspora working as one..Its the only solution..
Seems to me Gregory jumped out of “walking dead” TV show!
Why does Armenia need Azerbaijan’s trust? If it weren’t for the military option, there would be no Artsah!
Regrettably, and most disappointingly, the only difference between the Trump State Dept. and those preceding
is that they are the same, as my late grandfather used to say.
Remember, the US (and the whole West, particularly NATO) is no friend
They all are in the business of what’s in it for me, if the West themselves betray each other, what the Armenians expect from them, they only barter Tip for Tap, Armenians should build interests in other countries such as in: Africa, Southeast Asia, Caucasus, and others, so they can barter them in return for their support. these blood suckers react only to interests and not to values. (learn from Israel)