WASHINGTON: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken to the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan over the phone and reaffirmed Washington’s support for a peace agreement between the two neighbors, the State Department said on Sunday.
Armenia suffered a major defeat last September when forces of Azerbaijan retook control of Nagorno-Karabakh, which was part of Azerbaijan with a majority Armenian population.
Peace negotiations have been paused on issues including the demarcation of the two 1,000-km-long border between the two countries, which is heavily militarized and closed.
Blinken spoke to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on Sunday and asked him to keep up the momentum with his Armenian counterpart, stressing U.S. willingness to support those measures, the State Department said in a statement.
Meanwhile Bliknen and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in a separate call reaffirmed U.S. support for progress on a durable and dignified peace deal, said the department.
Blinken, in his call with Aliyev, welcomed the transfer to house arrest of a prominent Azerbaijani opposition politician and economist who has been in jail since last July while awaiting trial.
Azerbaijan has also detained many reporters since who now facing trial on charges unrelated to smuggling and non-journalist activity.
The State Department said Secretary Blinken again called urged Azerbaijan to adhere to its international human rights obligations and commitments.
