Armenian-Azerbaijani border crisis discussed by Lavrov and Blinken, Putin and Pashinyan

YEREVAN, May 20. /ARKA/. At a meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, on May 19 US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed a range of topics, including the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

"They discussed Russia's military deployment in and near Ukraine, the release of two U.S. citizens held by Russia, a proposed summit between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. and the search for a long-term political settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan," the US diplomat noted.

The border standoff between Armenia and Azerbaijan that emerged after Azerbaijani troops advanced several kilometers into the Armenian province of Syunik early on May 12 and attempted to breach the border on two other sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in Sisian and Vardenis, but were stopped by Armenian military units, was discussed also May 19 by Armenia's acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin by telephone.

Pashinyan was quoted as saying by his press service that Azerbaijani forces, contrary to all norms of international law, violated the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. He thanked for the efforts undertaken by Russia to strengthen peace and stability in the region.

According to the press service, both men expressed a common opinion on the ways and methodology of resolving the border crisis. -0-