Azerbaijan Committed to Peace Agenda, Says Aliyev

The office of Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has announced details of a phone conversation between Aliyev and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. According to the released statement, Aliyev assured Blinken that Azerbaijan is committed to a peace agenda aimed at normalizing relations with Armenia.

Aliyev also added that, as the initiator of the peace treaty between the two countries, Azerbaijan supports its signing.

Moreover, Ilham Aliyev stated that although Azerbaijan has ensured the organization of humanitarian cargo transportation, individual crossings, and medical evacuations via the Lachin border and customs checkpoint, there was allegedly an armed 'provocation' by Armenia on June 15 involving the smuggling of humanitarian cargoes under the escort of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Earlier reports indicated that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had been conducting negotiations with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev. The discussions focused on the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiation process. Blinken emphasized the importance of humanitarian and commercial transit through the Lachin corridor in Nagorno-Karabakh.