USA and Russia discussed long term solution to Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict

Baku/20.05.21/Turan: U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken discussed issues related to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Arctic Council Ministerial Cabinet meeting on May 18.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

"The Secretary of State stressed the importance of providing humanitarian access to the Syrian people, and also discussed regional issues such as finding a long-term political solution to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. They also discussed Afghanistan, strategic stability, containment of Iran's and North Korea's nuclear programmes, and areas where both nations can benefit from sustained and enhanced cooperation. The Secretary of State and the Foreign Minister reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the discussions," the spokesperson said in a statement.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988. Until the 1994 ceasefire agreement, the Nagorny Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent districts were under Armenian control.

The OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 to mediate a settlement of the conflict. The US, Russia and France are co-chairs of the Minsk Group. The Minsk Group co-chairs have failed to make significant progress towards reconciliation during mediation.

Hostilities between the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia resumed on 27 September 2020, a continuation of the 30-year conflict.

The leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia signed a trilateral statement on the cessation of hostilities after the Azerbaijani army regained control of more than 300 settlements, including five districts, as well as the city of Shusha within internationally recognised borders until 10 November.

Under the agreement, Aghdam, Kelbajar and Lachin districts were returned to the control of Azerbaijani.

A Russian peacekeeping contingent of 1,960 troops, 90 armoured personnel carriers, 380 vehicles and special equipment is deployed along the line of contact in Nagorny Karabakh and the Lachin corridor in accordance with a joint statement by the heads of state.

The Turkish-Russian Monitoring Centre has begun its activities to monitor the ceasefire regime in the territory of the Agdam district of Azerbaijan.

The joint statement calls for the restoration of economic and transport links, the opening of the Meghri corridor, which would restore relations between Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan, and an exchange of bodies of prisoners of war, other detainees and the deceased.

On 11 January 2021, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to establish a Trilateral Working Group, co-chaired by the deputy prime ministers of the three countries, to implement the 10 November statement.

The working group has already met several times and has discussed re-establishing of communication in the region. -03-