The U.S. Will Continue Efforts to Secure the Return of All Prisoners: Pashinyan's Call with Blinken

Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the latter's initiative. This was reported by the Information and Public Relations Department of the Prime Minister's Office of Armenia.

The American side congratulated Nikol Pashinyan on the victory of the “Civil Contract” party in the elections, emphasizing the consistent steps taken by the Armenian government in recent years to ensure the country's democratic achievements. In this context, U.S. Secretary of State appreciated Pashinyan's efforts to resolve the tensions created during the pre-election period peacefully and to build civilized relations with the opposition.

Antony Blinken highlighted the importance of the reform agenda implemented by the Armenian government, particularly in the fight against corruption and in the judiciary, adding that the U.S. is willing to continue its support in this direction. He also noted that the partnership between the two countries is based on democratic values.

Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed gratitude for evaluating Armenia's achievements in democratic reforms. He highly appreciated the U.S. continuous support for strengthening democratic institutions, rule of law, as well as the launch of the patrolling service of the police in Yerevan.

Pashinyan noted that the Patrolling Service will be expanded throughout the country in the future and expressed hope that American assistance will enable the completion of this process. The Acting Prime Minister also valued the efforts of Deputy Secretary Phil Rikery in securing the return of Armenian prisoners from Azerbaijan a month ago.

As key issues for establishing stability in the region, the return of prisoners and the withdrawal of Azerbaijani armed forces from the sovereign territory of Armenia were prioritized. The Secretary assured that the U.S. will continue to make efforts to secure the return of all prisoners.

Addressing the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Secretary emphasized the critical need to restore the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, underlining the necessity of developing a clear agenda for the peace process that would facilitate a stable and long-term resolution to the conflict. In this context, Nikol Pashinyan also emphasized that the conflict is not settled and requires a comprehensive solution, achievable exclusively within the framework of the Minsk Group co-chairmanship.

The American side noted its agreement with the Acting Prime Minister's observation that the status quo cannot remain stable and that a clear agenda is necessary for the co-chairmanship of the Minsk Group to promote successful negotiations.