BAKU: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held discussions on Tuesday with leaders from Armenia and Azerbaijan, addressing the ongoing challenges in the peace talks between the Caucasus rivals. The two nations have grappled with a prolonged conflict over control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, recently recaptured by Azerbaijan in a swift offensive against Armenian separatists.
The international community, including Washington, Brussels, and Moscow, has been actively involved in diplomatic efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Despite these endeavors, a comprehensive peace deal has remained elusive, leading to renewed efforts to reinvigorate negotiations.
Azerbaijan had previously declined participation in talks scheduled in the US earlier this month, citing perceived bias in Washington’s stance. In a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Secretary Blinken emphasized the enduring relations between the United States and Azerbaijan, while also acknowledging recent points of concern, according to a statement from Blinken’s spokesman, Matthew Miller.
Relations Between US and Azerbaijan
In November, US Assistant Secretary of State James O’Brien announced the cancellation of high-level visits to Azerbaijan and criticized Baku’s military operation in Karabakh on September 19.
Following the recapture of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, a majority of its 100,000 residents, primarily ethnic Armenians, fled to Armenia, creating a significant refugee crisis in the country. Although Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, it had been under the control of pro-Armenia separatists since the early 1990s.
President Aliyev reportedly conveyed to Blinken that recent actions and statements by the US had significantly damaged Azerbaijan-US relations. However, the two sides agreed that Assistant Secretary O’Brien would visit Azerbaijan in December, and Secretary Blinken pledged to lift a ban on Azerbaijani officials visiting the US.
In a separate call, Blinken engaged with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, emphasizing the United States’ support for efforts to achieve a lasting and dignified peace agreement. Internationally mediated peace talks between the two ex-Soviet republics have faced limited progress, but both leaders expressed optimism that a comprehensive agreement could be reached by the end of the year.
