U.S Secretary of State urged the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia to strictly respect the ceasefire

Baku. 5 September. REPORT.AZ/ U.S Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his strong concern about the recent outbreak of violence along the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops. Report informs citing the press service of the State Department, the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was discussed at the meeting of John Kerry with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan at the NATO summit in Wales.

At the meeting, Secretary of State noted that the United States remains committed to helping the sides reach a peaceful and lasting settlement: "The USA believes that the cessation of hostilities and the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan will bring peace and prosperity to the peoples of both countries, and will contribute to stability in the South Caucasus." With these goals in mind, Secretary Kerry urged the Presidents to strictly respect the ceasefire and take additional steps to prepare their publics for peace.

Secretary Kerry encouraged the Presidents to work with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, who are committed to helping the sides reach a peaceful and lasting settlement. He also applauded the Presidents for agreeing to continue their dialogue on key elements of a settlement. He called on the sides to enter into a more formal negotiation process under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs as proposed by the Swiss Chairman-in-Office at the OSCE. "A sustained process is necessary to increase trust between the sides and build momentum towards a lasting peace that the people of the region deserve," Secretary Kerry said.