Blinken Speaks With Aliyev, Offers 'Continued U.S. Assistance' In PeaceTalks With Armenia

Washington D.C./21.03.23/Turan:   U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken called Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev to offer continued U.S. assistance in facilitating bilateral peace discussions with Armenia, the State Department said on Tuesday, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

Blinken "encouraged finding solutions to outstanding issues and underscored that there is no military solution," Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a readout of the call.

The Secretary "reaffirmed the importance of reopening the Lachin corridor to commercial and private vehicles," Patel noted. 

Blinken "said the United States looked forward to continued cooperation with Azerbaijan on the peace process" according to the readout.

Blinken on Monday spoke to Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan to offer continued U.S. assistance in facilitating bilateral peace discussions with Azerbaijan.

In turn, the press service of the President of Azerbaijan reported, that during the conversation the situation around the Lachin-Khankendi highway was discussed.

The head of state noted that from December 12 last year to the present day, more than 4,700 vehicles of Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as persons in need of medical care and their accompanying persons, have been transported through it. Therefore, Armenia's claims that the road is blocked are false, Aliyev stressed.

“The use by Armenia of the auxiliary road to the Lachin road for illegal military transportation and the rotation of personnel in the Azerbaijani territories, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed, as well as the fact that about 10,000 servicemen of the Armenian armed forces are still on the territory of Azerbaijan, is of serious concern'', the president continued. In this regard, the head of state emphasized the need to create a border checkpoint at the last point of the Lachin road on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Aliyev brought to the attention of the interlocutor that, according to observations of recent weeks, Armenia is abusing the presence of the European Union mission in this country and is pursuing a policy aimed at deliberately escalating the situation.

The Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed formations continue to violate the ceasefire along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border and in the territories of Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed. In this regard, the President of Azerbaijan recalled that as a result of a provocation by illegal Armenian formations on March 5, 2023, two Azerbaijani servicemen were killed, and as a result of another provocation by Armenia on the day of Novruz Bayram on March 20, a serviceman was wounded on the section of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border in the Zangilan region State Border Service.

At the same time, Aliyev reaffirmed Azerbaijan's commitment to the peace agenda and expressed Baku's readiness to normalize relations with Armenia and sign a peace treaty as soon as possible.

Baku presented to the Armenian side the text of the peace treaty with the latest proposals and amendments.

The head of state said that he highly appreciates the efforts of the United States and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in this direction.

The head of state recalled that Azerbaijan is ready for contacts with the Armenian residents of Karabakh in the continuation of the meeting, as was agreed in February in Munich. They were invited by the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Baku to continue contacts on reintegration and discuss infrastructure projects, Aliyev emphasized.-0-