Yerevan/Mediamax/. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents to strictly respect the ceasefire and take additional steps to prepare their publics for peace.

It is stated in the release of Deputy Department Spokesperson Marie Harf following the trilateral meeting during NATO Summit in Newport on September 4.

“The Secretary of State expressed strong concern for the recent violence along the Line of Contact, marking the deadliest period in the conflict since the 1994 ceasefire took effect. The United States believes that the cessation of hostilities and the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan will bring peace and prosperity to the peoples of both countries, and will contribute to stability in the South Caucasus”, Marie Harf’s release reads.

“John Kerry applauded the Presidents for agreeing to continue their dialogue on key elements of a settlement and called on the sides to enter into a more formal negotiation process under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs”, Deputy Department Spokesperson noted.

The press release of the Armenian presidential press-service states that the Secretary underlined the absence of the alternative of the conflict’s peace process, the ruling out of the intensification of the situation and urged to seek mechanisms to decrease the conflict tension and build trust between the parties.

“John Kerry applauded the continuation of negotiations within OSCE Minsk Group format and expressed his willingness to do his best to support seeking ways to peacefully settle the conflict. At the same time, the Secretary of State highlighted the utmost importance of the political will of the parties in the peace process of the conflict”, the Armenian presidential press-service reports.