Azerbaijan-Armenia: Use Of Force To Resolve Disputes 'Not Acceptable', State Department Says

Washington D.C./24.03.23/Turan:   The State Department’s gatekeeper for arms sales and security assistance has been focused on demining efforts in the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict zone. The hope is that these efforts will help in bolstering human security and enabling displaced communities to return to their homes.

"We remain deeply concerned about landmines and unexploded ordnance that continue to kill and maim citizens, block economic development and impede the safe return of displaced communities." Jessica Lewis, assistant secretary for the bureau of political-military affairs, told TURAN's Washington correspondent.

Lewis was speaking to reporters on Thursday during a briefing organized by the State Department's Washington Foreign Press Center on the future of security sector assistance in a changing world.

Asked by TURAN's correspondent about Washington's role in Karabakh peace process, the Assistant Secretary reiterated the U.S. position that it "remains committed" to promoting a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future in the South Caucasus and "we recognize that there can't be a military solution to the conflict and that the use of force to resolve disputes is not acceptable."

She went on to add. "As the secretary [Antony Blinken] has emphasized, we are committed to Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations and direct dialogue is key to resolving issues and reaching a lasting peace."

When it comes to the efforts of the Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, the assistant secretary reminded that last fall, the U.S. announced $2 million dollars in humanitarian demining assistance for the areas affected by the intensive fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan forces in the South Caucasus from a couple of years before. This is intended to promote regional peace and builds on over the over $500,000 in assistance announced in November 2021

"One of the things that we have seen, not just specific to this region, when you talk about a country trying to recover from war, you cannot recover from war if your farmland, if homes, if communities are littered with unexploded ordnance," Lewis said.

"The work that we do with our international partners and to clean this up is mission critical for countries to be able to recover and recuperate and to protect civilians," she added.

On April 4th, the State Department will release its next annual "To walk the earth in safety" report, which outlines all of the work that Lewis's Bureau is doing on demining and unexploded ordnance.

When asked by TURAN about Washington's interest in potentially getting involved in peacekeeping in the region, the assistant secretary reminded that her Bureau provides the training for peacekeepers to carry out their missions. "And I do think we need to look closely at how we're going to help continue to be able to do that work."

She went on to add, "Obviously those are run through the UN and I want to steer clear of commenting on exactly how the UN will manage those processes moving forward. But I do think we need to look at questions of not only Russian support, but Russian equipment that right now for example I know there are difficulties getting spare parts for, and things like that, that may affect peacekeepers' abilities to carry out their peacekeeping work."

Alex Raufoglu