Blinken Met Bayramov And Mirzoyan, Encouraged Them 'Meet Again' Before The End Of Month

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday hosted Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers Jeyhun Bayramov and Ararat Mirzoyan in New York for the first direct talks since recent deadly border clashes claimed more than 200 lives.

The meeting, which took place at New York's Palace Hotel, lasted for about an hour. Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried and Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Ambassador Phil Reeker were also present at the meeting, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"Secretary Blinken conveyed condolences for the lives lost and emphasized the need to prevent further hostilities, underscoring the importance of returning to the peace process," State Department's Spokesperson Ned Price said in a readout of the meeting.

"They discussed next steps, and the Secretary encouraged the sides to meet again before the end of the month," Price noted.

No further details have been provided.

For long-time observers of the conflict, such as Richard Kauzlarich, who served as Bill Clinton's ambassador to Azerbaijan (1994–1997), the encouragement to the sides to meet again "suggests that there is no U.S. plan to move the bilateral process forward."

"This is what reminds me of 1994, before the Minsk Group was created when the US, Russia, Iran, and Turkey all tried unilateral diplomacy with the parties to the conflict," Kauzlarich told TURAN's Washington correspondent.

As for yesterday's talk, Kauzlarich reminded that, it was a meeting that took advantage of all the players being in NY for the UNGA. "The US side was all the senior officials (Assistant Secretary for European Affairs and Special Representative for South Caucasus) who have engaged with Armenian and Azerbaijani officials in the past," he said.

Blinken when opening the meeting reiterated condolences to the families and the friends of those who died or were wounded in the recent fighting last week. "We’re encouraged by the fact that the fighting has ceased and there have not been any additional military actions over the last – the last few days," he said.

According to Blinken, both Armenian PM Pashinyan and Azerbaijan's President Aliyev during latest calls told him that they are "ready" for peace. "Strong, sustained diplomatic engagement is the best path for everyone.  There is no military solution to the differences between Armenia and Azerbaijan.  But there is, I think, a path to a durable peace that resolves the differences through diplomacy," he said, adding that the U.S. is "prepared to do whatever it can to support these efforts."

Blinken last spoke with Aliyev on Sunday, and with Pashinyan 4 days ago.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.