Hillary Clinton:

"The United States remains deeply committed to helping the sides in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict reach a lasting and peaceful settlement", said Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in written response to questions submitted by Congressman Howard Berman.

In response to a question regarding Azerbaijan's opposition to an OSCE Minsk Group proposal, backed by both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, for the withdrawal of snipers from the front lines,Secretary Clinton said US supports pulling back snipers, Armenian National Committee of America reported (ANCA).

"We regret any loss of life and continue to call upon the sides to take steps  including the withdrawal of snipers  to improve the atmosphere for negotiations, prevent unnecessary casualties, and strengthen implementation of the ceasefire," she said.

"The U.S. has emphasized that the parties should show restraint in both their public statements and on the ground to avoid misunderstandings and unintended consequences. We reiterate at every opportunity that there is no military solution to the conflict and that only a peaceful settlement will lead to security, stability, and reconciliation in the region."

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Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Today, commonspace.eu starts a new regular weekly series. THURSDAY INTERVIEW, conducted by Lauri Nikulainen, will host  persons who are thinkers, opinion shapers, and implementors in their countries and spheres. We start the series with an interview with Murad Muradov, a leading person in Azerbaijan's think tank community. He is also the first co-chair of the Action Committee for a new Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue. Last September he made history by being the first Azerbaijani civil society activist to visit Armenia after the 44 day war, and the start of the peace process. Speaking about this visit Murad Muradov said: "My experience was largely positive. My negative expectations luckily didn’t play out. The discussions were respectful, the panel format bringing together experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey was particularly valuable during the NATO Rose-Roth Seminar in Yerevan, and media coverage, while varied in tone, remained largely constructive. Some media outlets though attempted to represent me as more of a government mouthpiece than an independent expert, which was totally misleading.  Overall, I see these initiatives as important steps in rebuilding trust and normalising professional engagement. The fact that soon a larger Azerbaijani civil society visits to Armenia followed, reinforces the sense that this process is moving in the right direction." (click the image to read the interview in full)