US State Department Urges Both Sides to Immediately Cease Hostilities

The US State Department has expressed concern over the large-scale military operations taking place in the conflict zone of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The United States strongly condemns the escalation of violence. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun has urged the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Jeyhun Bayramov and Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, respectively, to call on both sides to immediately cease military actions, utilize direct communication channels to avoid further escalation of tensions, and refrain from unnecessary rhetoric,” the statement from the department said.

“In the opinion of the United States, external parties' involvement in the escalation of violence would be deeply counterproductive and would only intensify regional tensions. We urge the parties to work with the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to return to substantive negotiations as soon as possible. As a co-chair, the United States remains committed to assisting the parties in achieving a peaceful and sustainable resolution to the conflict,” the statement added.