US Secretary of State and President of Azerbaijan Discuss Advancing Peace Process with Armenia

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev regarding the importance of reducing tensions and advancing the peace process between neighboring Azerbaijan and Armenia. Last autumn, Baku and Yerevan exchanged a number of war prisoners as part of a joint agreement aimed at reaching a sustainable peace treaty; an agreement that the European Union welcomed as a 'major step' towards peace in the region. According to Reuters, a spokesperson for the US State Department stated that Blinken told Aliyev that there is no justification for increasing tensions at the border with Armenia and warned that aggressive actions and rhetoric from either side undermine the prospects for peace. Azerbaijan's statement on this conversation noted that Aliyev expressed dissatisfaction regarding the 'lack of transparency and inclusiveness' of the upcoming trilateral meeting between Armenia, the United States, and the European Union, scheduled for Friday. The Azerbaijani president also expressed concern over the increased support from the European Union and the United States for Armenia, stating that potential military support for Yerevan could fuel an arms race in the South Caucasus region and possibly lead to 'mutual provocation.' In response to these concerns, Antony Blinken assured Aliyev that the April 5 meeting is not against Azerbaijan and will focus on the economy of Armenia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of newly independent republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the First Nagorno-Karabakh War broke out from 1988 to 1994 between Armenians and their Azerbaijani neighbors. Approximately thirty thousand people were killed and over a million were displaced. Azerbaijan lost part of its territory, and Armenians gained control over most of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, after decades of conflict, Azerbaijan launched a military operation that led to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. Azerbaijan, supported by Turkey, achieved a significant victory in the 44-day war and regained parts of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. While the United States has expressed support for Armenia, it has emphasized the need to maintain Armenia's independence and territorial integrity in light of Azerbaijan's military actions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The visit of Abram Pili to the South Caucasus; 'destabilizing behavior' of the Iranian government was the focus of discussions with the leaders of the Caucasus countries. The President of Azerbaijan stated that they are closer to peace with Armenia than ever before. The first day of peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan was hosted by Germany. Border clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan have resulted in an increase in casualties to four Armenian soldiers. Steps taken by Armenia and Azerbaijan to achieve peace included the exchange of war prisoners. The Armenian envoy to the European Union called for 'decisive action' from the West against Azerbaijan.