The U.S. Department of State has welcomed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s recent remarks on “consideration of amnesty” for Karabakh officials.

Aliyev recently made new threats against the people of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh). “Everyone is well aware that today we are capable of conducting any operation in this region (Artsakh - Ed.)," Aliyev said during a recent trip to Lachin. "Therefore, the Parliament must be dissolved, the element that calls themselves President must surrender, all ministers, deputies and others must leave their posts. Only in this case can we talk about any kind of amnesty."

“We are pleased to see that talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan have continued. As Secretary [Antony] Blinken said, peace is achievable in the South Caucasus. We recently expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Pashinyan’s commitment to peace, and we welcome President Aliyev’s recent remarks on consideration of amnesty.

“Armenia and Azerbaijan’s leaders will meet later this week in Chisinau with our European partners, and we hope that will be a productive step to resolving these issues at the negotiating table and not through violence. Aggressive rhetoric can only perpetuate the violence of the past; constructive dialogue—both public and private—can create peace, opportunity, and hope. The United States stands ready to support the efforts of both parties to conclude a durable and dignified peace agreement.”