U.S. State Department says progress in Karabakh process possibleJune 12, 2014 - 15:06 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A U.S. Department of State official hopes that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev, will meet in the near future to continue the “constructive dialogue” that they began at their latest summit last November, Armenia Now reported. Deputy Assistant Secretary Eric Rubin said during the U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing on Azerbaijan on Wednesday, June 11 that the United States, as one of the three states co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group, is doing everything to facilitate a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Noting the significant role of the OSCE, the U.S. official stressed that Washington has been working with the other co-chair nations, Russia and France, to move the process forward. “I think the progress is very possible. The goal now is to see if we can get the meeting of the two leaders scheduled in the coming month, and we are hopeful and optimistic that it will happen,” he said. Meanwhile, tensions continue in the region as Armenia reported that another of its servicemen was killed in the Karabakh conflict zone on Wednesday. Two Armenian servicemen were killed by enemy fire near the border with Nakhijevan last week. During a joint press conference with his Austrian counterpart in Vienna on Wednesday, Armenian President Sargsyan reaffirmed Yerevan’s commitment to resolving the Karabakh conflict “exclusively through peaceful means in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs which is the best international organization possessing extensive knowledge about the conflict.” The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. |