Blinken: U.S. against Azerbaijan's unilateral actions on Karabakh

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that Washington us against any unilateral actions in the South Caucasus, "especially by Azerbaijan", which only escalate the situation.

Blinken made the remarks during Senate hearings on Tuesday, April 26, and said that United States is in favor of a long-term settlement of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh, TASS reports.

The top American diplomat said he maintains active contacts with the leadership of both Azerbaijan and Armenia.

He said he spoke to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev over the phone, as well as with the Foreign Ministers of the two countries to “stimulate the prospect of a long-term political settlement on Nagorno-Karabakh.”

According to him, the United States is developing and promoting confidence-building measures between the parties to the Karabakh conflict.

"We oppose any unilateral actions, especially by Azerbaijan, which only escalate the situation," Blinken added.

Azerbaijan has broken into Nagorno-Karabakh, and the incursion has left three Armenian soldiers dead and at least 14 others injured. On March 24, Azerbaijan stormed into the zone of the responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers stationed in the area and is refusing to completely withdraw its forces from strategic heights.