US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Monday proposed US assistance in the process of rapprochement between Armenia and Azerbaijan and encouraged efforts to reach a permanent settlement of the conflict between the two countries, two years after a ceasefire agreement negotiated by Russia.
During separate phone conversations with Azerbaijani President Ilam Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Mr. Blinken stressed that the two countries have a “historic opportunity to achieve peace in the region,” according to press releases. his services at the State Department.
The US Secretary of State “offered US assistance to facilitate the connection of the transportation and telecommunications systems” of the two countries, according to US State Department spokesman Ned Price.
Mr. Aliyev and Pashinyan met in May, under the mediation of the European Union. Their foreign ministers then held their first direct talks since the war in Tbilisi, Georgia, in mid-July.
After a first war with over 30,000 dead in the early 1990s, Armenia and Azerbaijan became involved in the fall of 2020 in a conflict over the control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region that, with the support of Yerevan, seceded from Azerbaijan.
Over 6,500 people were killed in the second war. As part of the ceasefire agreement negotiated by Moscow, Armenia ceded much of the territory it controlled.
Russia, which the West is trying to isolate internationally because of its invasion of Ukraine in late February, considers the Caucasus to be part of its own sphere of influence.
Mr. Price assured that the US is willing to mediate, bilaterally and in cooperation with “partners who share our values”, to facilitate the achievement of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Source: AMPE
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
