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“The US Secretary of State is interested in the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and we hope that progress will be achieved in this issue,” US ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar told journalists when asked about the appointment of the US co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group, the Azerbaijani information agency reported.

Stating that the process is going on within Minsk Group, the ambassador Richard Morningstar hopes that the mediators will be able to achieve progress.

The news agency APA also notes that U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar addressing the South Caucasus Forum in Baku recalled the ceasefire agreement signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia in1994 and said that the agreement prevented the war: “However, prevention of the war is not sufficient to resolve the conflict. The Minsk Group understands it very well.
Therefore, we consider that the Minsk Group should be more determined to achieve something in the establishment of peace.”

The ambassador also touched on the role of the two countries’ civil societies in the resolution of the conflict: “The participation of the civil societies in this process is important. OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs cannot do this, the parties must do it themselves. The second type of diplomacy – the public diplomacy should be used in support of the activity of OSCE Minsk Group.”

The ambassador proposed to involve women activists from both Azerbaijan and Armenia in the settlement of the conflict: “Women, as mothers, suffer more from the war and they do admit the current situation.”

As the Azerbaijani information agency “Turan” reports commenting on talks about the fate of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Azerbaijan the U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Richard Morningstar, said the talks go on. "This is a long process and we look forward to the successful completion of this process," he said.

Turan reminds that the Azerbaijani authorities have accused NDI of preparation a color revolution, through the funding of youth organizations, and in fact banned the activities of this structure. NDI repeatedly denied the allegations, proving that operates transparently and within laws.