Secretary Blinken’s Trilateral Meeting with Azerbaijan and Armenia
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken hosted Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov for the first direct talks since recent fighting. 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. They discussed next steps, and the Secretary encouraged the sides to meet again before the end of the month.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone. I want to thank my colleagues from Armenia and Azerbaijan for being here today. I want to start by just offering our sincere 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. In my latest calls with both Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Aliyev, both leaders told me 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. The United States is prepared to do whatever it can to support these efforts. And I’m grateful to both of my colleagues for being here today to pursue this conversation. Thank you very much
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