Blinken and Aliyev Discuss Upcoming US-EU-Armenia Meeting

On April 3, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. Blinken stated that he received information about the concerns of the Azerbaijani side regarding the trilateral meeting scheduled for April 5 between the US, the European Union, and Armenia, and emphasized the importance of discussing this matter with President Ilham Aliyev and clarifying the issue.

The Secretary highlighted that the significance of the upcoming meeting will be related to Armenia's economic development issues. President Ilham Aliyev noted that, according to his information, issues such as military assistance to Armenia and joint military exercises, the establishment of military infrastructure in areas adjacent to Azerbaijan, and Armenia's armament under the EU European Peace Fund and the US budget had been discussed in the preparation process for the trilateral meeting.

Antony Blinken mentioned that the April 5 meeting is not directed against Azerbaijan. During the conversation, they also discussed peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Ilham Aliyev stated that the discussions held in Berlin on the text of the peace treaty among foreign ministers have been useful for advancing the process, and there is a need to accelerate the negotiations.

The country’s leader also emphasized that the accusations voiced in the West, suggesting that Azerbaijan intends to attack Armenia, are completely unfounded. Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan is committed to the declaration adopted during the Prague meeting in 2022 and the Almaty declaration.