Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 11
Trend:
The United States doesn’t recognize results of so-called "election" in Nagorno-Karabakh, State Department’s spokesman, John Kirby told reporters Sept. 11.
"In the context of the full-scale resolution of the conflict, we recognize the role of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to determine their own future", – Kirby said.
"But US does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent sovereign state, and we do not recognize the results of the so-called "elections" on Sept. 13 as affecting the legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh", – Kirby added.
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.
Trend