The US is deeply concerned about the situation on the contact line between the troops of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Robert Cekuta, the US ambassador to Azerbaijan, told reporters.
He made the remarks Sept. 28 commenting on recent violence on the contact line.
The ambassador said it is important that two sides come together for negotiation.
He also recalled that the OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairs organized a meeting with foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia.
“We are looking forward to a meeting of the two countries’ presidents by the end of the year,” said Cekuta. “The important thing is for the sides to come together and work together to find peaceful negotiated solution.”
Earlier on Sept. 28, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said the Azerbaijani armed forces eliminated seven Armenian soldiers.
Additionally, a large number of Armenian servicemen were wounded.
The ministry said Armenian armed forces’ attempts to become more active were prevented as a result of the proactive measures taken by the Azerbaijani armed forces’ units on the contact line of the two countries’ troops on Sept. 27-28.
Moreover, three Azerbaijani servicemen – Rauf Veliyev, Neman Ahmadzade, and Zohrab Mustafazade – were killed in heavy battles with the enemy on various parts of the frontline, according to the ministry.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council’s four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by CN
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