 Diplomacy is the only way to peace in South Caucasus – Blinken March 21, 2023 - 14:41 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Diplomacy is the only way to peace in the South Caucasus, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after speaking to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday, March 20. According to a short statement he shared on social media, Blinken offered continued U.S. assistance in facilitating bilateral peace discussions with Azerbaijan. Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the Department of state, Vedant Patel, said in another statement that Secretary Blinken thanked Prime Minister Pashinyan for Armenia’s continued commitment to peace and encouraged concrete steps forward in finding solutions to outstanding issues. “He reiterated U.S. support for direct talks and diplomacy to support a lasting and sustainable peace in the South Caucasus and stressed that there is no military solution,” Patel said. Since December 12, the sole road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia - the Lachin Corridor - has been blocked by self-described Azerbaijani environmentalists. Karabakh residents have reported food and fuel shortages, while hospital patients don't have access to essential medicines, with only a handful allowed transfer to facilities in Armenia proper.   Top stories The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. London’s Armenian community has been left feeling “under attack” after the city’s Genocide monument was vandalised. The United States believes there should be an international mission to provide transparency.   Partner news |  Latest news Turkey extends military presence in Azerbaijan  The Turkish parliament has adopted a bill submitted by Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend the mandate of Turkish troops.Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skillsArmenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi ArabiaPashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”. |
