US Has Distinct Defense and Security Relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan, State Department

The US State Department, responding to Armenian-American joint military exercises and statements from Azerbaijan, emphasized that "the United States has a longstanding partnership with Armenia, exemplified by stable cooperation with the National Guard of Kansas under the Department of Defense's State Partnership Program." This was stated by the Department to the Armenian service of Voice of America.

The State Department added that "the US has distinct defense and security relations with Azerbaijan, including cooperation in multinational exercises such as the recent Agile Spirit in Georgia, NATO's Partnership for Peace, and several other bilateral formats similar to the State Partnership Program of the Department of Defense."

Addressing questions on regional stability in the South Caucasus, the American foreign policy agency highlighted that "Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to make significant progress towards finalizing a peace agreement."

"We are committed to supporting that process. The time for peace has come," the agency stated.

In response to questions about changes in US foreign policy following a potential administration shift, the US State Department noted, "The State Department is a nonpartisan institution. The foreign policy of the United States government may change under different presidential administrations. However, the fundamental principles of US foreign policy remain unchanged, which include promoting security, democracy, prosperity, and development both in the United States and around the world."