Following the escalation of tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh weeks ago, The United States was confident that there could soon be a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, affirmed this Thursday that there had been “tangible progress” in the peace talks between Yerevan and Baku with the mediation of Washington, and expressed his confidence that they will soon close a definitive agreement that ends the border conflict. .
The leader of US diplomacy made these statements in the last of four days of negotiations between the Armenian Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyanand that of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramovat the George Shultz Center, just outside Washington.
“During these days we have made tangible progress. The final agreement is near and we are determined to continue helping our friends so that they can achieve it, “said Blinken.
The US secretary said that closing an agreement of these characteristics “is not easy”, but stressed that there is a “determination” to move forward by all parties and applauded the “inspiring” leadership of his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts.
“The last kilometer of a marathon is always the most difficult. We already know. But America is here to help our friends cross the finish line,” she expressed.
Both countries ended the last war for control of Nagorno-Karabakh, the region that has been disputed since the 1980s, in the fall of 2020.
But the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border has escalated in recent months after Azerbaijan closed the Lachin corridor, the only route connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.
Both sides accuse each other of violating the truce signed after the bloody war of 2020. However, on February 22, the International Court of Justice demanded that Azerbaijan open the corridor to alleviate the serious humanitarian situation that the population of Nagorno Karabakh.
Last week the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyanand the French Foreign Minister, Catherine ColonnaThey advocated reopening the corridor. “They stressed the need to immediately comply with the decision of the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) and unblock the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan,” said the statement released by the Armenian government.
They considered that Baku’s unilateral actions, including the installation of a checkpoint, are a “serious violation” of the declaration of November 9, 2020, which ended the second war in Karabakh, and were considered “inadmissible”. .
In addition, they also highlighted the effectiveness of the civil mission created by the European Union (EU) to stabilize the borders of the Caucasian country.
The French minister, whom Baku accused today of lack of neutrality, reiterated that the unblocking of the Lachin corridor would be a “gesture of goodwill” and would help “build mutual trust.”
The blockade imposed by the government of Ilham Aliev caused severe shortages of food, medicine and energy in Nagorno Karabagh.
(With information from EFE)
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Source-www.infobae.com