AzerNews.

U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar says his country is desperately seeking to find a peaceful solution to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

He went on adding that the U.S. has stepped up his efforts in recent years to achieve the goal soon.

Addressing a group of students of the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, he said:” I excellently understand the concern of Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We strive to resolve the conflict and work more closely with the government.”

The presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia held a positive meeting on November 2013, and it is significant to continue these meetings, he added.

The American ambassador also noted that the two sides are discussing more specific issues. “We will do everything possible to resolve this conflict,” he said.

Morningstar referred to the recent tensions on the contact line between Azerbaijan and Armenia adding that the conflict does not help the negotiation process and could lead to unintended consequences and miscalculations.

“We call on both parties to respect the armistice on the frontline and to refrain from actions that could lead to losses,” he said.

Morningstar expressed hope that Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents will reach a concrete conclusion on the issue in a talk in near future. He added, sitting for talks is the only way out of the current crisis.

He went on to say that the OSCE Minsk Group also plays a role in the negotiations.

“We can play a role of mediator to facilitate and to come up with ideas. But ultimately, the political will of both countries is needed to put an end to this conflict, which is a sensitive issue for the country,” Morningstar said.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.

So far, the UN Security Council has issued four resolutions urging Armenian withdrawal from the territories but none of the resolutions have been enforced yet.

Peace talks, mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. through the OSCE Minsk Group, are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the Madrid Principles. The negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.

The situation remains tense on the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops since early 2014. The ceasefire was violated over 2,000 times from January 21 until now. In all cases, the shooting was countered by return fire.

U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said at a press briefing on January 24 that the use of force will not lead to the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are working on organizing a meeting between Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents.