U.S. still sees opportunity for Karabakh peace despite the setbacks — State Department (video)

Washington/18.08.22/Turan: Washington "still sees" an opportunity for comprehensive long-term peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the State Department's spokesperson told TURAN's U.S. correspondent during Wednesday's daily press briefing.

"We absolutely still see an opportunity here despite the setbacks. We always recognized this was never going to be a linear process," spokesperson Ned Price said.

Washington is still working "to do what we can to facilitate what we hope to see, and that is a comprehensive long-term peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan," as Price put it.

"We believe that through continued dialogue, continued engagement, including at the senior levels, we will be in a position to do everything we can to help advance that long-term comprehensive peace," he added.

Secretary Blinken recently had an opportunity to engage with both Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders.

"We did so, registering our deep concern about the recent fighting in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, including the casualties and the loss of life that had resulted from that. We urged immediate steps to reduce tensions and to avoid further escalations between the parties," Price explained.

The U.S. also believes that the recent increase in tensions "underscores the need" for a negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining issues related to or resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"While we’ve seen an intensification of tensions resulting in some violence, we are going to remain committed to working with the parties. We will continue to do so bilaterally, but also with likeminded partners in the EU and through our role as an OSCE Minsk co-chair to help the countries find that long-term comprehensive peace," Price said.

Alex Raufoglu
Washington D.C.