Chargé d'Affaires of US permanent Mission to OSCE, Katherine Brucker responded to the remarks by Ararat Mirzoyan, Foreign Minister of Armenia, during the Special Permanent Council convened by the initiative of Armenia. The diplomat, in particular, said:
Foreign Minister Mirzoyan, welcome back to the Permanent Council at this critical time for your country and your region. The United States welcomes the continued high-level
meetings between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the most recent trilateral meeting in Brussels on July 15 and the June 27-29 meeting of the foreign ministers in Washington. To quote Secretary of State Blinken, “peace is achievable in the South Caucasus.”
Peace, dialogue, and the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the basis of mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, eschewing force or the threat of force – principles that are set forth in the Helsinki Final Act – remain the only way forward.
We welcome your active support towards this goal. We continue to believe efforts
to reach a durable and dignified peace agreement, normalize relations, delimit and demarcate borders, open transportation and communication links, and ensure the rights and security of all residents in the Nagorno-Karabakh region are in the best interest of all stakeholders.
The United States recognizes ongoing tensions on the ground, including Azerbaijan’s recent closure of the Lachin corridor to all but some limited humanitarian traffic which threatens to worsen the humanitarian situation for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. Cross-border incidents also threaten the momentum you have already worked hard to achieve. We again urge the sides to refrain from provocative, threatening, or hostile actions or rhetoric.
The OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security, anchored in our principles and
commitments, can enable the prosperity and security in both Armenia and Azerbaijan as part of and following a comprehensive peace agreement.
We appreciate your assistance in helping to reach consensus on a budget that will allow the OSCE to continue deploying its tools and implementing projects for the good of participating
States.
Mr. Minister, the United States is committed to working with Armenia and Azerbaijan,
bilaterally, multilaterally, and through partners to reach a durable and dignified peace.
