While commenting on the press statement of State Secretary Blinken dated August 24, Leyla Abdyllayeva, the Head of the Press Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, said that it is surprising that the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken's press statement on the appointment of Philip T. Reeker to the position of senior adviser on the Caucasus negotiations shows an approach far from the post-conflict reality in the region. 

Abdullayeva said that Azerbaijan's position regarding the Minsk Group had been repeatedly and clearly expressed at the highest level. "Attempts to resuscitate the virtually non-functioning Minsk Group may result in the USA moving away from the normalization process of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations," she added. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman stated: "The Karabakh conflict has been resolved, and the Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan. The international community, including our partners, should understand that connecting the talks on the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia with the Karabakh issue does not serve normalization at all."

On August 25, in the traditional briefing at the State Department, Vedant Patel, the First Deputy Press Secretary of the State Department, commented on the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan regarding the appointment of Philip Reeker as co-chairman of the Minsk Group. Vedant Patel said that the Secretary of State appointed Ambassador Reeker as the Chief Adviser on negotiations in the Caucasus to emphasize our commitment to promoting peace in the South Caucasus. "We are committed to direct dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia in a bilateral, multilateral manner and within the framework of cooperation with like-minded partners to achieve a comprehensive peace settlement between the two countries. His selection underscores our commitment to the Geneva International Discussions, where we will continue to hold ourselves accountable to our commitments under the 2008 ceasefire with Russia. As part of his role as a diplomatic advisor, Ambassador Reeker will represent the United States both in the OSCE Minsk Group and, as I mentioned, in the Geneva International Discussions," he noted.

On August 24, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken appointed Philip T. Reeker as the US Department of State's new senior adviser on negotiations in the Caucasus, the Department said in a statement. "I am appointing Ambassador Philip Reeker as Senior Negotiation Adviser in the Caucasus. Ambassador Reeker will serve as the US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and Lead Negotiator for the US Delegation to the Geneva International Discussions during this critical period," Blinken said. The report said the United States is committed to helping Armenia and Azerbaijan negotiate a long-term political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. According to Blinken, "Reeker will engage on a bilateral basis with like-minded partners such as the European Union and, as part of his role as Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, will promote direct dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan." According to the State Department, Ambassador Philip Ricker previously worked at the US Embassy in Great Britain. From March 2019 to August 2021, he served as the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. He was also political advisor to the commander of the US European Command in Germany, consul general in Milan, Italy, and deputy assistant secretary of state for the Balkans. Ricker was the US ambassador to North Macedonia in 2008-2011.

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