Blinken expresses appreciation for positive steps Armenia and Azerbaijan are taking towards reaching peace

YEREVAN, Oct. 5. /ARKA/. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed Washington’s appreciation for the positive steps Armenia and Azerbaijan are taking towards reaching a sustainable peace agreement, the State Department said in a statement.

'In a week that has been marked by too much violence, including the deaths of Armenian soldiers and Azerbaijani civilians in landmine explosions, he welcomed the meeting between the ministers on October 2 as an important step forward in the peace process.  The Secretary commended the release of POWs and reiterated our commitment to helping Armenia and Azerbaijan resolve issues peacefully and underscored that diplomacy is the only way forward,' it said.

Earlier on Tuesday Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in a trilateral format.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said today that Mirzoyan reiterated the need for the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed forces from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, the immediate repatriation of the Armenian prisoners of war illegally held in Azerbaijan and for the unconditional observance of the ceasefire regime.

The inadmissibility of resolving the issues with the use of force or the threat of use of force was stressed.

In the context of preventing new aggressions, the importance of introducing international mechanisms for monitoring and controlling the border situation was emphasized.

During the conversation, the interlocutors exchanged views on the development of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty and the creation of a discussion mechanism between Stepanakert (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Baku.

The sides agreed to continue discussions aimed at establishing stability and security in the South Caucasus. -0-