U.S. reaffirms its readiness to assist Armenia, Azerbaijan in  resolving situation around Artsakh

ArmInfo.The US has made it clear through  its word and its deed that it is ready and able to help the parties - Armenia and Azerbaijan - advance progress on these very difficult questions in any way that we can.

Thus, on February 23, during the briefing, the following questions  were asked to the Spokesperson of the US State Department, Ned Price:  "Earlier this month, reports suggested that United States and France  are working together to try to end Azerbaijan's continuing blockade  of Nagorno-Karabakh. I was wondering if this communication that  happened between the Secretary of State and his French counterpart  was more like a one-time effort or maybe having more efforts, joint  work together, or should we expect it in the future between United  States and French authorities?

And my second question is more about the humanitarian aspect.  Azerbaijan, unfortunately, continues to disregard international  calls, whether it's coming from this administration or the European  partners, and the situation on ground continues to deteriorate. The  hospitals, the schools cease to function normally in  Nagorno-Karabakh. I was wondering if the administration considers  stepping in and maybe delivering humanitarian aid to Nagorno-  Karabakh using USAID or other - capacity of USAID or other channels."  Spokesperson Ned Price's responses were as follows:

"So on your first question, we have made clear through our word and  our deed that we are ready and able to help the parties - Armenia and  Azerbaijan - advance progress on these very difficult questions in  any way that we can. We have done so bilaterally, we have done so  trilaterally with the parties, including when Secretary Blinken sat  down with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts in Munich. We are  and have been working with and through our partners. We're very  supportive of the EU process, and I should note that there is an  offer from President Michel of the EU to host the parties in  Brussels. It's an opportunity, should they accept it, to sit down to  continue the progress that we've seen in recent weeks.

When it comes to the Lachin corridor, the Secretary raised this in  his engagement with the prime minister and with the president in  Munich last weekend. He underscored the need for free and open  commercial and private transit through the Lachin corridor. He also  called on the parties to open other transportation routes. We think  it in the first instance is incumbent on the parties themselves to  resolve these impediments to the free flow of goods, including  humanitarian assistance to the people who need it most in this  corridor, and we're going to focus our diplomacy on attempting to  bring - to help bring that about.  All right, yes,"  the  representative of the US State Department summed up.