Kerry meets with leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan at NATO Summit

Secretary of State John Kerry met with President of Armenia Serzh Sargsian and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at the NATO Summit in Wales to discuss the efforts to resolve the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Kerry expressed, "strong concern for the recent violence along the Line of Contact, marking the deadliest period in the conflict since the 1994 ceasefire took effect," according to a statement from State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf Thursday.
"The United States 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," affirmed Harf.
Kerry pushed the leaders to work with the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation on Europe) Minsk Group, "who are committed to helping the sides reach a peaceful and lasting settlement." Additonally, "He (Kerry) 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," affirmed Harf. "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." (end) ak.gta