United States Committed to Stable Ceasefire and Peaceful Resolution Between Armenia and Azerbaijan: State Department

The United States finds it particularly important to bring together the positions of Armenia and Azerbaijan. This was stated by State Department spokesperson Ned Price while commenting on the meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with Secretary of State Antony Blinken within the framework of the UN General Assembly in New York.

He recalled that this was the first in-person meeting of the two foreign ministers since the recent outbreak of violence. “The Secretary emphasized the importance of following up on the ceasefire and maintaining calm. He noted that the United States is committed to a stable ceasefire and peaceful resolution. We have made it clear to both foreign ministers that the United States is prepared to support this process at the bilateral and multilateral levels. This support includes the efforts of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel. During the meeting, the parties discussed the best way to make significant progress in the peace process by the end of the month. Our message has been clear. We call on Azerbaijan to return troops to their initial positions. We urge the withdrawal of military forces and are working to resolve all existing issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan through peaceful negotiations. The use of force is not an acceptable means. We have made this clear privately. We have also stated this publicly and are pleased that our ongoing engagement, including at a high level, such as last week in New York, has helped to halt hostilities, and we will continue to engage and encourage the necessary work to achieve lasting peace, as there can be no military solution to this conflict,” he said.

When asked when the next meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan might take place, Price replied that this would be determined by the two countries. “But we believe that further direct interaction between Armenia and Azerbaijan is in the interest of not only them but also the region and beyond. We have offered assistance again at the bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral levels, and of course, the EU also plays an important role,” he said.

In response to a question about experts saying that US calls for the meeting indicate that Washington currently has no plan to advance the process, the State Department representative said: “Our task is to bring the parties together, facilitate dialogue, and help the parties work through their disagreements, overcoming differences through peaceful and diplomatic means. This is our ongoing work.”