US 'pleased' to see peace talks continue between Azerbaijan, Armenia

By Firdevs Bulut Kartal

TORONTO (AA) - The US welcomes the continued peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the State Department said Tuesday.

"We are pleased to see that talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan have continued. As Secretary (of State Antony) Blinken said, peace is achievable in the South Caucasus. We recently expressed appreciation for (Armenian) Prime Minister (Nikol) Pashinyan’s commitment to peace, and we welcome (Azerbaijani) President (Ilham) Aliyev’s recent remarks on the consideration of an amnesty," said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a statement.

Later this week, the two leaders will meet in Moldova’s capital Chisinau with European partners of the US, which will be a productive step toward resolving these issues at the negotiation table and not through violence, the statement said.

Aggressive rhetoric will only perpetuate the violence of the past, while dialogue can create peace, opportunity and hope, it said.

The US reiterated its commitment to support efforts of both parties to conclude a sustainable and dignified peace agreement.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages and settlements from Armenian occupation during 44 days of clashes. The Russia-brokered peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.

Despite the ongoing talks on a peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan, tensions between the neighboring countries increased in recent months over the Lachin corridor, the only land route giving Armenia access to Karabakh.