ArmInfo.The USA stands ready to engage Armenia and Azerbaijan - again, bilaterally or with likeminded partners, including through the OSCE mechanism, Ned Price, Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, told a news briefing.
Asked whether the U.S. is deliberately shutting the door to Russia's mediation efforts and whether that disqualifies Russia in peacemaking efforts between Azerbaijan and Armenia, he said:
"I can't speak to the role that Russia might play in this. What I can say is that we stand ready to engage Armenia and Azerbaijan - again, bilaterally or with likeminded partners, including through the OSCE mechanism."
In response to a question as to whether Russia is going to be suspended from OSCE amid the Ukraine developments, Mr Price said:
"I would have to refer you to the OSCE. They put out the Moscow Mechanism under the auspices of the OSCE, put out a comprehensive report yesterday regarding the atrocities, the potential war crimes that, according to the Moscow Mechanism, the Russians - Russia's forces have committed in Ukraine. But I would need to refer you to the OSCE to speak to the particulars."
As to the announcement on Office of Sanctions Coordination, which is a new office at the State Department, and if it will coordinate efforts between the agencies here, or is it about coordination between allies and partners, like, for instance, the immediate neighbors to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia, the official said:
"That'll be a key charge of Ambassador Jim O'Brien, who is the head of that new office at the Department of State. I hope many of you saw the announcement this morning that Jim O'Brien, who was confirmed by the Senate last week, is now hard at work in his new role this week. He will work throughout this building. He will work with the interagency, throughout the administration, but he'll also work with allies and partners to ensure that our approach to sanctions, the implementation of sanctions, the development of sanctions - specific ones and sanctions authorities - are coordinated and implemented effectively with allies and partners around the world."