Azerbaijani foreign minister tells Blinken of importance of withdrawing Armenian troops from Karabakh

BAKU. June 27 (Interfax) - Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken as part of a working trip to the U.S. on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan said in a statement on Tuesday.

"At the meeting, Bayramov provided information on Armenia's attempts to hinder the peace process and several provocative steps. The sides discussed the Azerbaijani-Armenian peace process, the prospects of negotiating a draft bilateral peace agreement and establishing inter-state relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the current situation in the region," the statement said.

Bayramov set out Azerbaijan's position and approach to the issues raised in the draft.

For the peace process to be a success, Armenian troops must withdraw from Azerbaijan's territory and respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity both in word and in deed, the minister said.

The Armenian foreign minister joined the meeting towards its end, the ministry said.