The United States does not recognize the illegal regime in Nagorno-Karabakh, nor does any other country, including Armenia, a US State Department spokesperson told Trend March 28 commenting on the recent US visit of Bako Sahakyan, who claims to be the “president” of the illegal regime created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

“State Department is aware that some Congressional representatives hosted visitors from the Nagorno-Karabakh region earlier this month,” said the spokesperson.

“The United States supports the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair process and will continue to work toward a negotiated settlement based on the Helsinki Final Act principles of non-use of force, territorial integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples,” said the spokesperson.

Earlier, over Bako Sahakyan’s visit, the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and received a note of protest, sent by the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan to the US State Department.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the US, Elin Suleymanov, after a meeting in the State Department, presented the protest of Azerbaijan to the American side.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.