Azerbaijan's Response to Appointment of New OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair by the US

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to the appointment of diplomat Philip Riker as the senior advisor for negotiations in the Caucasus and as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

It is noted in Blinken's statement that the United States is committed to assisting Armenia and Azerbaijan in negotiations regarding a long-term political resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. According to Blinken, Riker will have bilateral cooperation with like-minded partners such as the European Union to facilitate direct dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan as part of his role as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group.

However, Baku believes that the US Secretary of State's statement reflects an “approach that is very far from the post-conflict realities prevailing in the region, which is surprising.”

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's press service stated, “Azerbaijan's position on the Minsk Group has been repeatedly expressed and clearly articulated at the highest level. Attempts to 'revitalize' the practically ineffective Minsk Group may lead to the US distancing itself from the process of regulating Azerbaijani-Armenian relations. The Karabakh conflict has been 'resolved' (quotes via Tert.am), and Karabakh is an 'integral part' of Azerbaijan (quotes via Tert.am). The international community, including our partners, must understand that linking the negotiations on the regulation of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations to the Karabakh issue does not serve the purpose of regulation in any way.”