Azerbaijan-Armenia: U.S. Urges For Direct Talks To 'Share Ideas' How To Meaningfully Advance Peace Process

Washington on Monday reiterated its calls for continued engagement directly between Baku and Yerevan, TURAN's U.S. correspondent reports.

In New York last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and top diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan discussed "the best path forward", and the Secretary "suggested the sides share ideas for how to meaningfully advance the peace process before the end of the month," State Department's spokesperson said during daily press briefing.

Asked by TURAN's Washington correspondent whether the sides were genuinely interested in the peacemaking process, Price said, "I will let the two sides speak to their attitudes. It was important for us and for the Secretary in particular to bring the two sides together."

This was the first face-to-face meeting that the two foreign ministers had since the latest outbreak of violence, reminded. "The Secretary noted to both leaders the importance of maintaining the ceasefire, of maintaining the calm, and noted that we’re dedicated to a sustainable ceasefire and to a peaceful resolution."

Washington, Price said, "made clear to both foreign ministers that the United States stands ready to support – to support this bilaterally, multilaterally, together with partners. This includes our support for efforts by EU Council President Charles Michel [to] bring the leaders together."

Asked whether the U.S. offered any date and venue for the foriegn ministers' next meeting before the end of the month, Price said. "this will be up to the two countries to decide, but we do think that continued engagement directly between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not only in their interests, it’s in the interests of the region and beyond. "

"We have offered to be of assistance, again, bilaterally, trilaterally, multilaterally, and of course the EU is playing an important role as well," he emphasized.

As for the peace process, Washington's message "has been consistent for some time," according to Price.

"We call on Azerbaijan to return troops to their initial positions. We urge disengagement of military forces and work to resolve all outstanding issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan through peaceful negotiations," he said,

"The use of force is not an acceptable path. We’ve made that clear privately. We’ve also made that clear publicly, and we’re glad that our continued engagement, including at high levels, including last week in New York, with both countries has helped to halt the hostilities, and we’ll continue to engage and encourage the work needed to reach a lasting peace because there can be and there is no military solution to this conflict," he added.

Price's comments came as the Azeri president’s advisor Hikmet Hajiyev was in Wasington on Monday where he met with Assistant Secretary Donfried.

"We are in regular contact with both Armenian and Azeri officials. That will continue," Price said when asked about Hajiyev's meetings.

TURAN also asked the spokesperson whether the U.S had any plan to move the process forward. "The United States is not and cannot be in a position to submit a plan as a fait accompli," he said in response.

"Our task is to bring the sides together, to facilitate dialogue, to help the sides together work through differences, to work through disagreements peacefully and diplomatically. That’s what last week was about. That’s what our continued engagement is about," he explained.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.