US State Department on tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh

During the traditional briefing on 27 March, US State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel said that the United States was concerned about the recent situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and called for direct dialogue in the interests of lasting peace.
"Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried spoke with Foreign Minister Bayramov this morning [27 March] and expressed concern about Azerbaijan's military actions. She emphasised the United States' commitment to the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks. As the Secretary of State has repeatedly said, direct dialogue is the key to resolving this problem and achieving a lasting peace. There is no military solution to this conflict. We will continue to support discussions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, both bilaterally and with partners, as well as in multilateral organisations," he said.
As previously reported by Caucasus Watch, on the evening of 25 May it was announced that the Azerbaijani army had made advances in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to a statement by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan had taken control of the overland routes allegedly used by Armenia to transfer weapons, ammunition and personnel into Karabakh.

Bayramov talks to Donfried

On 27 March a telephone conversation took place between Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Karen Donfried, Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, the press office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan reported.
During the telephone conversation, the parties discussed current issues on the agenda of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the current situation in the region, as well as the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
"Minister Jeyhun Bayramov informed about the latest situation in the region, including the latest provocations by Armenia, which continues to transfer personnel and military ammunition to the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, and the steps taken by our country against these provocations without the use of force. The importance of establishing a border crossing point between Azerbaijan and Armenia at the beginning of the Lachin road to prevent illegal activities in the territories of Azerbaijan was reiterated. The Minister also drew attention to the non-constructive approaches of Armenia, which hinder the negotiations on the peace agreement, and stressed that Azerbaijan is ready to start the negotiations on the peace agreement at any moment," the report added.
Karen Donfried, for her part, stressed the importance of normalisation of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia for regional peace and development. Concern was expressed about the recent tense situation in the region and a call was made for all misunderstandings to be resolved through negotiations. It was noted that the US side was ready to support this process.