To President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, His Excellency, Mr. Ilham Aliyev
Dear Mr. President:
On the occasion of his first official visit to Baku, I would like to convey to you my full support for Ambassador James Warlick as the new U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. His recent appointment is a strong signal of the United States` enduring and unequivocal commitment to helping the sides reach a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
It is my hope that Ambassador Warlick`s wealth of diplomatic experience and your government`s desire for progress will bring new energy to the co-chairmanship, and to the peace process. I support your efforts to take advantage of opportunities for direct dialogue with Armenia in the months ahead, and to avail yourself of the co-chairs` time and expertise to move beyond the current impasse in negotiations. With the outlines of a compromise already well established, now is the time for a renewed effort to bring peace to the region.