Meeting with Ilham Aliyev

On December 6, Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, received US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien, the Press Office of the Azerbaijani President reported.

The sides stressed the importance of US Assistant Secretary of State James O'Brien's visit to Azerbaijan in terms of discussions on various aspects of bilateral relations and the exchange of ideas on regional issues.

President Ilham Aliyev said there was a rich history of relations between Azerbaijan and the United States and stated that during the years of Azerbaijan's independence, the two countries had established relations of successful cooperation in various fields, especially in the field of energy. "The head of state noted that following the 44-day Patriotic War, Armenia had not fulfilled its obligations, sent weapons and military personnel to the territories of Azerbaijan, and supported separatism. President Ilham Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan had carried out anti-terror measures in its sovereign territories, put an end to aggressive separatism, and demonstrated exemplary compliance with humanitarian law requirements during the operation. The President pointed out that no harm had been done to civilians and infrastructure," the report noted.

Emphasizing that Azerbaijan supported the regional peace agenda, President Ilham Aliyev said that after the end of the conflict and full restoration of Azerbaijan's sovereignty, historic opportunities had arisen for the establishment of peace, noting that the United States could contribute to the process by considering the new realities. President Ilham Aliyev pointed to cooperation in the energy field, Azerbaijan's role in Europe's energy security, and the ongoing projects implemented in the Caspian and Black Seas aimed at developing renewable energy potential. The head of state said that new transport and logistical opportunities had been created in the region along the Middle Corridor, noted that Azerbaijan's partnership with countries of Central Asia had expanded further, and spoke about the new cooperation opportunities in this area.

James O'Brien, in turn, said that the relations between the United States and Azerbaijan had deep roots and that the two countries were good partners. He touched upon the role the United States played in delivering Azerbaijan's energy resources to world markets, said that his country supported the peace agenda in the region, the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the negotiations on a peace treaty, and pointed out that the United States was ready to continue the talks in this regard in Washington.

James O'Brien emphasized that the US supported the development of the Trans-Caspian transport corridor concept and continued discussions on the opening of communications between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He stated the importance of looking into the future of US-Azerbaijani relations.

During the meeting, the sides described the resumption of reciprocal visits as a positive step for advancing bilateral relations.

Meeting with Jeyhun Bayramov

On the same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov met with James O'Brien.

During the meeting, the agenda of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two countries, the region's current situation, and the prospects of the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia were discussed. The importance of historical cooperative relations between Azerbaijan and the United States in several directions and the importance of developing bilateral relations within the framework of mutual interests were noted.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov emphasized that Azerbaijan, as the initiator of the main elements of the peace process with Armenia, is an interested party in establishing peace and stability in the region.

At the same time, the importance of intensification of border delimitation negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia on a bilateral basis, which is one of the other directions of normalization, was brought to attention.

US State Department Emphasizes Continued Engagement with Azerbaijan

At a briefing for journalists on the evening of December 5, Matthew Miller, the head of the Press Service of the US State Department, said that cessation of interaction with Azerbaijan would be contrary to the interests of the United States. 

"We have never said that we are not going to continue interaction with Azerbaijan. That would be contrary to our interests. We believe that if we simply ended all of our diplomatic contacts with Azerbaijan, it would be detrimental to peace and security in the region," Miller said. According to him, the US continues to engage directly with the region's countries to clarify, in the case of Azerbaijan, what Washington is concerned about. "The US, for example, is concerned about the trend of detaining journalists in Azerbaijan," he noted.

"We continue to urge them to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. And we also continue to engage with them, urging them to seek a lasting peace with Armenia. This will be the focus of our diplomatic efforts," Miller assured.