White House encourages further dialogue between Azerbaijan, Armenia
US State Department says "peace is possible" between Baku and Yerevan, welcomes talks between foreign ministers.
A senior State Department official said Washington's "goal is to make sure that the ministers are able to sit down and talk to each other ... But it's most important that the two of them are able to continue their negotiations." / Photo: Reuters Archive
The White House has welcomed Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan, who have been holding peace talks in Washington.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan tweeted on Wednesday that he welcomes the "progress Armenia & Azerbaijan have made in talks," encouraging "continued dialogue."
"A sustainable & just agreement will be key to unlocking opportunities for both countries & the region," he said.
Bayramov and Mirzoyan have been holding peace talks in the United States since Sunday.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met separately with Bayramov and Mirzoyan at the George P. Shultz National Affairs Foreign Affairs Training Center in Arlington, Virginia.
US State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel said the secretary believes that "direct dialogue is key to resolving issues and reaching a lasting peace," and that "peace is possible between these two countries".
Good to host @AraratMirzoyan & @Bayramov_Jeyhun together at the White House today. We welcome the progress Armenia & Azerbaijan have made in talks & encourage continued dialogue. A sustainable & just agreement will be key to unlocking opportunities for both countries & the region
— Jake Sullivan (@JakeSullivan46) May 3, 2023
Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia
Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh, which is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
Most of the territory was liberated by Baku during a war in the fall of 2020 which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement and opened the door to normalisation.
However, the establishment of a checkpoint on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the South Caucasus region last month sparked tensions.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said the border checkpoint was created in response to security threats from Armenia, citing the transfer of weapons and ammunition to the Karabakh region. Yerevan denied the charges.
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