Azerbaijan-Armenia: U.S. 'Hopes To See' Direct Dialogue, State Department Say

The U.S. is hoping to see direct dialogue leading to a resolution of the issues that have long divided Armenia and Azerbaijan – "and through that dialogue, hopefully reaching a lasting peace," as the State Department's spokesperson put it on Tuesday, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"We’re continuing to engage in direct discussions with Armenia and Azerbaijan," Spokesperson Ned Price told a daily press briefing when responding to TURAN's questions on Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent conversations with the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders.

"We are going to do what is most effective to bring about a resolution to these very thorny issues," Price said, reminding Washington's efforts to engage with the sides both bilaterally and through multilateral institutions. "We’ve had an occasion to do that trilaterally a couple times last year as well."

Asked by TURAN whether Secretary Blinken had clear sense of where the negotiation process is stalled at this point, Price said, "we have a good sense of the state of play."

He went on to elaborate, "We have various concerns... Our concerns regarding the Lachin corridor. We are concerned that the situation there is worsening; the worsening humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh has been a focus of not only the Secretary but others in this building."

According to Price, ongoing obstruction of normal commercial and private travel along the Lachin corridor is "causing shortages of food, fuel, and medicine for the residents who depend on the corridor for those very basic supplies."

"Periodic disruptions to natural gas and other basic utilities exacerbate the worsening humanitarian situation," he said.  "We call for the full restoration of free movement through the corridor, including commercial and private travel. We believe we need a solution to this impasse that will ensure the safety and well-being of the population living in the area," Price added.

The way forward is "through negotiations," the spokesperson emphasized. "We remain committed to supporting a lasting peace."

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.