In an interview with Russian daily Vedomosti, OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair James Warlick of the United States said that the territories around the former Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast must be returned to Azerbaijan as part of a comprehensive settlement of the conflict, ARCA reports.

He said that the conflicting sides should not focus on separate elements of the settlement process. “The territories must be returned, but there are other factors, and that is why the Co-chairs advocate a comprehensive settlement,” he added.

Warlick said security guarantee is an element of the conflict resolution, which, in turn, includes the deployment of international peacekeeping forces, either UN or OSCE, “to ensure the security of NagornoKarabakh.”

Warlick said that Washington does not back a specific settlement option. He added that if the parties agree to the deployment and the format of a peacekeeping contingent, the U.S. is ready to support this option.

"But we are not discussing this issue now. We are examining different versions of security guarantees, as we cannot talk about the formation of the peacekeeping forces for now," the diplomat said.

He said that an OSCE group of military experts has already developed a number of predefined options that are regularly updated. Their work may serve, according to him, as a starting point for the engagement of the international peacekeeping force.

He said that 2014 was a very dangerous year, claiming both military and civilian lives on both sides, while the January of 2015 proved to be one of the most dangerous months in the last 20 years with a large number of casualties.

"So there is every reason to fear that the conflict could expand. This can also occur as a result of miscalculation and armed clash. Therefore, it is important to work together to find a solution and ensure compliance with the ceasefire," Warlick said.