The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has gone on for too long, said Robert Cekuta, the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, speaking to Trend news agency of Azerbaijan.
US ambassador to Azerbaijan: Karabakh conflict has gone on for too long
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 12, ARTSAKHPRESS: “There is no military solution for this conflict,” he noted. “It is essential that the parties come together and work towards finding a peaceful settlement to this conflict. This conflict has gone on for too long.”
The ambassador stated that the United States works through the OSCE Minsk Group and is very active in this work, helping the parties come together to find the settlement.
Ambassador Cekuta noted that Richard Hoagland, the new OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair from the United States has a lot of experience in the US State Department, knows this part of the world well and has worked with this part of the world before.
According to the ambassador, Hoagland has already engaged with his partners – the French and Russian Co-Chairs – to look at the situation, engage with people, help bring the parties together and help them realize a peaceful settlement.
“He [Hoagland] is a very energetic and very strong player, and I think he can really help to move this process ahead,” Cekuta said.
Also, he noted that when he travels around the country he meets with IDPs and sees the effect the conflict has on people. Meanwhile his colleagues on the other side of the contact line see the same thing, he said.
“We need to do what can to help move things forward, to help the parties to reach a settlement,” added the US diplomat.
