US Emphasizes That Azerbaijani Armed Forces Must Withdraw from Positions Occupied as of May 11

On June 9, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker met at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. During the meeting, senior officials from the foreign ministries of Armenia and the US discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest. Special attention was given to the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the immediate repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held captive, as well as the situation created by the incursion of Azerbaijani armed forces into Armenian sovereign territory.

Both sides reaffirmed the key role of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing format in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The importance of addressing the emerging humanitarian issues and ensuring unhindered access to Nagorno-Karabakh for international humanitarian aid was emphasized.

The American side highlighted the need to de-escalate tensions along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, reaffirming the stance reflected in the US State Department's May 27 statement that Azerbaijani armed forces must withdraw from positions occupied as of May 11. Views were also exchanged on the agenda of human rights protection and the prevention of crimes against humanity. The importance of recognizing the Armenian Genocide was underscored as an effective measure to prevent such crimes in the future.

Further work within the framework of the Armenia-US strategic dialogue was also discussed.