U.S. calls upon Nagorno-Karabakh conflict parties to achieve peaceful settlement

The U.S. remains deeply committed to working with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict parties to achieve a peaceful settlement, Acting Deputy Spokesperson at the U.S. Department of State, Patrick Ventrell said at a press briefing.

"We are a co-chair of the Minsk Group - we remain deeply committed to working with the sides to achieve a peaceful settlement of the conflict," Ventrell said when asked about discussions over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Secretary Kerry and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Turkey.

Ventrell said that the U.S. believes that the use of force will not resolve the conflict. "The U.S calls upon all parties to refrain from the use or threat of use of force," he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.