Robert Cekuta Comments Negative Reaction of Baku to John Kerry`s Speech

In connection with the negative reaction of official Baku to the statement of US Secretary of State John Kerry, who said the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia are not ready to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta met with senior Azerbaijani officials.

Declining to comment Kerry’s words, the Ambassador reiterated US support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

"The United States has repeatedly stated the need to take into account the principle of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The same was also announced during the March visit of President Ilham Aliyev to Washington," Cekuta told the Azerbaijani service of the Voice of America.

According to Cekuta, the United States as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group wants to bring both sides to the negotiating table, determine the range of issues and chart the way forward to the settlement of the conflict. However, the Ambassador said the parties themselves should first come to an agreement.

He expressed the United States’ concern with the “ongoing incidents” in the conflict zone. “We deeply regret in connection with any loss of life during the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, and we express deep condolences in connection with this,” Cekuta said in conclusion. -06d--