Azerbaijani, Armenian top diplomats’ latest Washington meeting enjoy unstinted Western support

By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

The latest Washington meeting between Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers Jeyhun Bayramov and Ararat Mirzoyan respectively on November 7, 2022, triggered a lot of favorable international support.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met with the foreign ministers of the two South Caucasus nations, who fought two bloody wars in the late XX and early XXI centuries, praised them for "courageous steps" toward a durable peace.

"Direct dialogue is the best way to a truly durable peace, and we are very pleased to support that," he said, adding that the United States strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial independence of both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"What we are seeing now are real steps and courageous steps by both countries to put the past behind and to work toward a durable peace," Blinken said.

The secretary of state said the talks would build on earlier discussions at the UN General Assembly in New York and other conversations between officials from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the United States.

"The United States as a friend to both Armenia and Azerbaijan is committed to doing everything that we can to support you in this effort," he added.

Similarly, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Javier Colomina welcomed direct talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Washington.

"Good news. It’s encouraging to see ministers Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov engaging again in direct talks. NATO supports the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, key for the stability and prosperity of the South Caucasus, and welcomes US efforts in this regard,” Colomina tweeted.

Commenting on the meeting, US State Department Spokesman Ned Price informed that the two top officials agreed to speed up negotiations.

"Yesterday was positive in that the two sides met; they surfaced many of their areas of disagreement, at the end of the day they were able to agree on a joint statement. They were able to agree to continue meeting, engaging in direct dialogue and diplomacy in the weeks that follow," the spokesperson said at a conference.

Further, Price stressed that the meeting underscored both countries' serious pursuit of peace through intensified dialogue, adding that the United States remains committed to supporting a peaceful South Caucasus region.

As reported earlier, during the meeting, Jeyhun Bayramov and Ararat Mirzoyan exchanged views on the elements of a possible peace treaty and concorded that there is a range of issues that still need to be addressed. Both sides reiterated the commitments undertaken by the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders in their meetings on October 6 in Prague and October 31 in Sochi.

They agreed to expedite their negotiations and organize another meeting in the coming weeks.

Bayramov reiterated the country's readiness for a peace deal with Armenia in a tweet.

"At the initiative of @SecBlinken had a meeting with Armenian FM @AraratMirzoyan in #Washington DC. I reiterated #Azerbaijan’s commitment & readiness for the soonest conclusion of the Azerbaijani-Armenian #peace agreement, and urged to refrain from actions that would undermine the process," he tweeted.