All parties should make every effort to resolve Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

All the parties should make every effort for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick wrote on his Twitter page on Feb.26.

Warlick also said that on the day of remembrance of the Khojaly tragedy victims, "we must remember that violence is not the way for solution".

On February 25-26, 1992 Armenian occupation forces together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops stationed in Khankendi committed an act of genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly.

Some 613 people were killed, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people. A total of 1,000 civilians were disabled during the genocide.

Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both.

Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostages, while the fate of 150 people remains unknown.

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

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.


/Trend/