Response of the US Embassy in Armenia to Baku

The United States, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, continues to remain committed to a lasting and political resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, believing that only a comprehensive solution to the issue can normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This was stated by the US Embassy in Armenia in response to a query from Armenpress, reacting to the statement made by Leyla Abdullayeva, head of the press service of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"As a co-chair of the Minsk Group, we continue to be committed to a lasting and political resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. To this end, we call on Armenia and Azerbaijan to return as soon as possible to substantive discussions under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. Only a comprehensive solution that addresses all unresolved issues can normalize relations between the two countries and allow the residents of the region to live together in peaceful conditions," the US Embassy stated.

Earlier, Leyla Abdullayeva, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, commented on a statement by US Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy given to journalists on September 11, in which she indicated that the United States does not consider the status of Nagorno-Karabakh resolved. "Thirty years of war and tension cannot be resolved overnight. Nevertheless, we understand that there are certain issues that need to be resolved, one of which, as I have stated before, is that we do not consider the status of Nagorno-Karabakh resolved and therefore will continue to keep this issue on the agenda of the Minsk Group," the ambassador said during a press conference.

Commenting on these remarks, Abdullayeva told the Trend news agency that the US ambassador's statement is "unacceptable." She asserted that these territories ("Eastern Zangezur and Karabakh") are inseparable parts of Azerbaijan and that there can be no question of any status. She added that similar statements from the American side "disrupt" the future activities of the OSCE Minsk Group.