18 Jul 2022 16:36

Azerbaijani FM, U.S. assistant secretary of state discuss situation in region by phone

BAKU. July 18 (Interfax) - Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and United States Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried discussed the situation in the region, including the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in a telephone call on Sunday, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.

"The parties exchanged opinions on current regional processes, including various avenues of the process of normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia," it said.

Bayramov informed Donfried of "Azerbaijan's well-known position as regards the maintenance of peace and progress in the region, including the opening of communication routes, the delimitation of the border between the two states, the start of work on a future peace agreement, and also steps being taken by Azerbaijan along these avenues," it said.

The parties emphasized the importance of implementation by the parties of the obligations they have undertaken, it said.

Donfried welcomed the first bilateral meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in Tbilisi, Georgia, and highlighted the importance of continuing direct contacts.

The parties also discussed other matters of mutual interest, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry press service said Donfried called Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Sunday to address regional security and the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.

"Mirzoyan and Donfried discussed a number of issues concerning regional security and stability. Mirzoyan presented the latest developments in the process of settling relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan," the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.

The parties also talked about steps toward unblocking the regional transport infrastructure, economic ties, and work being done by the commission on Armenian-Azerbaijani border delimitation and security.

"Mirzoyan and Donfried exchanged opinions on the July 16 meeting in Tbilisi between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers. Mirzoyan said Yerevan is continuing to attach importance to the role of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship and the co-chair countries (Russia, France, the U.S.) in a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," it said.