Pentagon calls for peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict
BAKU. Dec 7 (Interfax) - U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper has called for a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
Cooper reaffirmed the commitment of the United States, a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, to the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. She stressed that the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict should be resolved without the use of force and that the territorial integrity and the right of people to self-determination should be provided in keeping with the Helsinki Final Act, the U.S. embassy to Azerbaijan said in a statement after Cooper ended her visit to Baku.
She also said the U.S. appreciates Azerbaijan's long-term contribution to NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, according to the embassy.
In addition, she thanked Azerbaijan, which is strategically located between Europe and Asia, for its contribution to counterterrorism efforts.
Cooper discussed the importance of deepening bilateral relations and promoting joint values in the suppression of transnational threats, such as terrorism, drugs, and weapons of mass destruction.