WASHINGTON, June 20 (Sputnik) – US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in separate meetings with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in two readouts on Thursday.
"Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale met yesterday in Washington, DC, with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan. The two discussed regional challenges and opportunities, with Under Secretary Hale underscoring the importance of preventing further violence and making progress in the OSCE Minsk Group process toward a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Ortagus said. " Hale outlined Administration priorities on a range of issues, including cyber security, trade and investment practices and sanctions policy."
In a separate meeting, Hale and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in addition to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict discussed security, energy, and economic growth.
The conflict in Armenian-dominated Nagorno-Karabakh started in 1988 with the autonomous region announcing its secession from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1991, the Armenia-backed region proclaimed independence from Azerbaijan and the creation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. This move triggered a military conflict, which led to Baku losing control over the region.
The situation in the region is monitored by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group chaired by Russia, the United States and France, within the framework of which negotiations on peace settlement has been conducted since 1992.
