- PACE Resolution 2085 stresses the fact of occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and other territories of Azerbaijan by Armenian state; requests the immediate withdrawal of Armenia’s armed forces from the occupied region; regards the deliberate creation of environmental crisis against Azerbaijan by Armenia as an environmental aggression; warns that current state of Sarsang reservoir, located in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, could result in a humanitarian disaster,
- OSCE Minsk Group has made no progress towards the liberation of our occupied territories,
Therefore: The undersigned ask the Administration to support PACE Resolution 2085, to assist in the liberation of the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia and the prevention of a humanitarian catastrophe in the region.
Response to Petition
A response to your petition on Nagorno-Karabakh:
Thank you for signing this petition on Nagorno-Karabakh.
As a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the United States is strongly committed to a peaceful and lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We appreciate hearing from you on this issue and are glad for the opportunity to speak to you directly about what work we’re doing to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and address humanitarian issues.
We have read Resolution 2085 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and, although the United States is not a member of PACE, we welcome opportunities to exchange views on the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process with any interested interlocutor.
This is where we stand now:
On May 16, 2016, Secretary of State John Kerry participated in discussions with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French State Secretary for European Affairs Harlem Desir. Presidents Sargsyan and Aliyev reaffirmed their respect for the ceasefire, accepted confidence-building measures to reduce the risk of violence along the Line of Contact and Armenia-Azerbaijan border, and agreed to another round of talks in June, with a view toward resuming negotiations on a comprehensive settlement.
We continue to urge the sides to demonstrate restraint and enter into an immediate negotiation on a comprehensive settlement, which would include the return of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan’s control and a determination of Nagorno-Karabakh’s status.
As part of our ongoing dialogue with the sides, we have and will continue to facilitate discussions related to humanitarian issues. Management and maintenance of the Sarsang Reservoir is one such issue. We welcome a meeting between technical experts from the sides to discuss water management and dam inspections. The co-chairs are ready to facilitate such a meeting.
Ultimately, a resolution of this longstanding conflict depends on the political will of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. As a Minsk Group co-chair country, we will continue our efforts to advance peace and prosperity in the region.
Thanks again for raising your voices on this platform.
-- We the People Team