ArmInfo.The United States is deeply concerned about reports of large-scale hostilities along the contact line in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which have resulted in significant casualties, including civilians. US Representative to the OSCE James Gilmore said this in Vienna on September 29, speaking at a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, convened in connection with the escalation in the Karabakh conflict zone.
"We join the co-chairs of the Minsk Group and the entire international community in condemning this escalation of violence in the strongest possible terms and call on all participants to immediately end the hostilities. We express our condolences to the families of the dead and wounded.
We call on the parties to immediately end hostilities and return to the negotiating table as soon as possible and without preconditions. The US Undersecretary of State has already appealed to the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan to call for de-escalation, use existing direct channels of communication between them to prevent further escalation, and refrain from useless or inflammatory rhetoric and actions that further exacerbate tensions on the ground. " noted the US permanent representative.
At the same time, Gilmore stressed that the United States urges the parties to take immediate steps to reduce tensions, ensure that security measures are proportionate, and that international human rights are respected. "The United States believes that any outside party's involvement in the escalation of violence will only exacerbate regional tensions.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has no military solution. The parties must lay down their arms and sit down at the negotiating table.
As co-chair of the Minsk Group, the United States reaffirms its commitment to promoting a peaceful negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. There is still time to change the situation and prevent further death of civilians and servicemen, "he summed up.