US urges Armenia, Azerbaijan to resume Karabakh talks

The United States on Wednesday called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to accept an invitation to hold a summit in Paris to try to resolve the frozen conflict of Nagorno Karabakh.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki appealed to both countries to accept an invitation from French President Francois Hollande “to hold a summit in Paris as soon as possible.”

“As a co-chair, we’re committed to helping both sides reach a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It’s our hope that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will accept French President Hollande’s invitation to hold a summit in Paris as soon as possible, and that they will agree to structured negotiations that will lead to a peace agreement,” she said.

“We call on both sides to redouble their efforts at the negotiation table and to focus on the benefits that peace will bring to people across the region,” Psaki added.

“Obviously inflammatory rhetoric and statements run counter the principle of reducing tensions,” Psaki added.