On the occasion of the anniversary of the signing of the trilateral ceasefire declaration by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia, the U.S. State Department urged Baku and Yerevan to intensify contacts, including through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), in order to resolve all remaining issues related to the conflict.
"This week, the United States and the international community recognize the one-year anniversary of the ceasefire declaration that ended 44 days of intense fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in the South Caucasus," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in the statement.
"We urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue and intensify their engagement including under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to find comprehensive solutions to all outstanding issues related to or resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the statement reads.
The U.S. State Department extended its deepest condolences to the families of those killed and injured during the hostilities last year, calling for the return of all remaining detainees, a full accounting of missing persons, the voluntary return of displaced persons to their homes, comprehensive humanitarian de-mining of conflict-affected areas, and access by international humanitarian organizations to those in need.
"The United States remains committed to promoting a secure, stable, prosperous, and peaceful future for the South Caucasus region," Price stressed.
