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Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process in separate telephone conversations with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, the State Department announced.
According to a readout of the call from Pashinyan’s office, in addition to efforts related to the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the issue of the humanitarian challenges stemming from the more than 100,000 forcibly displaced Artsakh residents settling in Armenia were also addressed.
Matthew Miller, the State Department’s spokesperson, said that Blinken discussed the possibility of concluding a peace agreement between the two countries with Aliyev and Pashinyan.
Blinken “welcomed President Aliyev’s commitment to conclude a durable and dignified peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia,” Miller said adding that the Secretary of State “recognized the suffering that this long-standing conflict has caused Azerbaijanis and Armenians alike and underscored the benefits that peace would bring to everyone in the region.”
In addition, Blinken discussed the bilateral relations between the US and Azerbaijan with Aliyev, and “noted recent points of concern in the relationship and also spoke about opportunities to strengthen cooperation, especially around the peace process, and the importance of high-level engagement.”
Azerbaijani media claimed on Tuesday that Aliyev expressed dissatisfaction about some American officials’ “pro Armenian” statements, specifically referring to Assistant Secretary of State Jame O’Brien and the comments he made during a Congressional hearing earlier this month.
The State Department’s spokesperson said that Blinken “discussed U.S. support,” in his conversation with Pashinyan, “for efforts to reach a durable and dignified peace agreement.”
At the same time, the Secretary of State “reaffirmed the United States’ ongoing support for Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” and “outlined efforts to increase bilateral cooperation with Armenia,” Miller said.
O’Brien told reporters on Monday that the U.S. sees a “real opportunity” for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“We’re encouraged that the two sides are speaking with one another directly and with mediators. And with that, we see a real opportunity for the entire region to benefit. For example, if trade from Central Asia is able to flow through Azerbaijan and Armenia into Turkey, then it would be a substantial boost for all the countries on that trade route. And we’d welcome the opportunity to be part of that,” O’Brien said at a press briefing.
“At the same time, if the decision is made not to pursue that by peaceful means, then we would have to use whatever tools we could to avoid having that kind of trade route created. So we’ve been very clear with the parties about what we hope to see and about the consequences of moving forward otherwise. So we’ll look forward to seeing where the parties come out. We know they’ve expressed an interest in concluding a peace agreement very soon, and we would love to see that happen,” O’Brien added.
Armenia’s Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan, who has become a loose cannon with his statements that often contradict official Yerevan, told reporters on Tuesday that the “Artsakh Issue” does not exist for Armenia.
He explained that by recognizing Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity that includes Baku’s sovereign over Artsakh, that the self-determination for the people of Artsakh was no longer an issue for Armenia.
“We have already said this eight times in the last year or two. What else needs to be said?” the parliament speaker lashed out at reporters.
Simonyan’s comments came days before the 32nd anniversary of a referendum in Artsakh by which the declaration of independence was ratified by the majority of Artsakh citizens.
He said currently, Armenia’s main objective is to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, emphasizing that the Artsakh issue was resolved in 2016, presumably referring to the Four-Day war in April of that year.
However, just last week, Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan said that the issue of the rights of Artsakh Armenians is “on the agenda” of Yerevan’s dealings with Baku and international mediators. This sentiment has also been expressed by Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, who has been pushing this matter in his diplomatic discussions with world leaders.
Simonyan said that Armenia is ready to sign a peace treaty based on international norms.
“The ball is now in Azerbaijan’s court. And if Azerbaijan declares at the presidential level that they are ready, the peace treaty is ready. The international partners who had a meeting with the president of Azerbaijan said, at the meeting with me, that he also said that 80 percent [of the peace treaty] is ready. If desired, the peace treaty can be signed within the next 15 days if the government of Azerbaijan really shows political will,” Simonyan declared.
Last month, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan insisted and claimed, during talks with the President of the European Council Charles Michel, that Armenia is occupying eight Azerbaijani villages and demanding their immediate return. This announcement sparked long-dormant issue of the so-called enclaves that exist within both republics since the 1990’s.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan cautiously addressed that issue by bringing up the Artsvashen region of Armenia, which has been under Azerbaijani control since the 1990’s. Foreign Minister Mirzoyan and other diplomats have not made Yerevan’s official position clear. They have only insisted that Azerbaijan also recognize Armenia’s territorial integrity.
Yet, Speaker Simonyan, on Tuesday declared that Armenia was ready to “return” any so-called enclaves to Azerbaijan.
“We [Armenia] are ready to return their [Azerbaijanis] enclaves, and they must return our Artsvashen. I do not rule out that we will find some solution and, for example, what is on this side of the border will stay here, what is on the other side of the border will stay there. For example, the area of Artsvashen is much larger than the two or three enclaves that Azerbaijan is talking about,” Simonyan told reporters.
“If there is peace, Armenia will be able to oversee and provide with its own forces those few small territories that can become an exclave from Armenia. Azerbaijan should do the same. We do everything in the logic of equality,” added Simonyan.
A time will come when Armenians and Azerbaijanis must live side by side, Simonyan said. “We hope for it and will do everything to that end.”
“Armenians and Azerbaijanis need to be able to conduct trade, I do not rule out that some [Armenian] people will return to their homes in the territory of Azerbaijan, I do not rule out that after some time Azerbaijanis will come and settle here,” Simonyan added.
When asked whether such a clause is included in the peace agreement being worked out with Azerbaijan, the speaker of the Armenian legislature responded that he had not come upon such a clause.
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