Wednesday, September 14 2022 09:53

ArmInfo. "There is no military solution to this conflict," Ned Price, Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, told a news briefing. 

"Well, events are fast-moving. I would say broadly it's unclear if  there is one proximate cause and one proximate factor. Oftentimes  that is not the case. It's unlikely to be the case here. Of course,  we've seen tensions simmering in the Caucasus for quite some time.  It's precisely why we have been concerned about the potential for  violence and in more recent hours the reports of attacks along the  Armenian-Azerbaijan border.

"It is why we and he put out a statement last night just within hours  of these escalation of tensions calling for an immediate cessation of  violence. It's why he picked up the phone in the wee hours. He was on  the phone until after 1:00 a.m. Eastern with the leaders of Armenia  and Azerbaijan underscoring for them the importance of the core  message that he issued in his statement, namely the imperative of an  immediate cessation of these hostilities. He urged President Aliyev  to cease hostilities immediately, to disengage military forces, and  to work to resolve all outstanding issues between Armenia and  Azerbaijan through peaceful negotiations.  "There is no military  solution to this conflict. We urge restraint from any further  military hostilities. We also encourage both governments to  re-establish - to let direct lines of communication across diplomatic  as well as military channels, and to recommit to constructive  dialogue and to that diplomatic process. We are going to remain  actively engaged diplomatically with both of these governments. You  mentioned this already, but Ambassador Reeker, who was recently named  our senior adviser for Caucasus negotiations, was in Baku yesterday.  He remains there. He met earlier today with senior Azerbaijani  leaders, and we remain committed to promoting peaceful, a democratic  and prosperous future for the South Caucasus region.

"Well, diplomacy is still very much alive. And this is a simmering  conflict and a simmering sort of tension that has been around for  decades. And we have been focused on this since the earliest days of  this administration. Of course, we inherited a South Caucasus region  that had only recently emerged from a fairly intense flare-up of  violence in 2020. With our successive senior advisers now, we have  placed a high level of personnel overseeing the day-to-day activity  of this file. Of course, Ambassador Reeker is someone who is well  known to the department. He has been the acting assistant secretary  in charge of our Bureau for European and Eurasian Affairs. He has  held senior posts overseas as well. He is someone who knows this  issue set as well as anyone.

"Secretary Blinken has repeatedly engaged with Prime Minister  Pashinyan and with President Aliyev, knowing that - knowing the  importance, recognizing the importance of his personal diplomacy, of  his personal time and attention on this topic. We have made very  clear our willingness and we've demonstrated our willingness to  engage bilaterally with the parties, but also multilaterally as  appropriate, bringing in allies as well as other partners in the  region to achieve a de-escalation of tensions and to set these  countries towards a comprehensive settlement.  "We have called upon  all countries in the region to use their influence constructively.  And there is no question on a couple fronts. There is no question  that an escalation of hostilities or outright violence between  Armenia and Azerbaijan, there is no question that that would not be  in Russia's interests. It would not be in anyone's interest. There is  also no question that Russia has outsized influence with both  Azerbaijan and Armenia. We have called on Russia and we do call on  Russia to use that influence and to use that leverage in a way that  helps to achieve a cessation of hostilities, and more broadly a  de-escalation of those tensions.  "The point the Secretary was  referring to today was very much a reflection of the influence and  leverage that Russia has. Russia could use that influence for ill; it  could use that influence to help bring about what it is we all seek,  and that's an immediate end to this violence and a de-escalation of  tensions."