U.S. 'Committed' to Armenian-Azerbaijan Peace And Negotiations — State Department

The State Department on Tuesday said it will continue to engage over the next months to facilitate discussions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"Secretary Blinken has emphasized this repeatedly, including when he brought the two foreign ministers together in New York. We are committed to Armenian-Azerbaijan peace and negotiations between the two countries," Ned Price, the Department's spokesperson, said at the daily press briefing in response to TURAN's questions.

Price went on to say, "We believe direct dialogue is key to resolving issues and to reaching that lasting peace, and that lasting peace, by the way, that both countries have stated that they seek. So, we’ll continue to engage over the next months to facilitate discussions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, bilaterally, with partners, and through multilateral organizations as well."

Price's comments came just a day after Russia's Vladimir Putin hosted Armenia and Azerbaijan leaders to try to broker a settlement to a longstanding conflict, but announced no breakthrough.

The State Department, in its turn, didn’t offer any assessment on the results of the Sochi meeting either: "We were not a participant in this meeting. It is not for us to speak to," Price told TURAN's correspondent.

Asked if there would be any phone calls or meetings between the Secretary Blinken and foreign ministers in the near future, Price said, "I think all of that is on the table. We will do what it is we deem most useful to bring about the cause of lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan."

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.