The United States hit back at Russia, this time for Moscow accusing the West of pressuring Armenia and attempting to carve its own niche in the Caucasus.
The U.S. said that it was committed to peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and its only goal is to see and to help the two countries work together to bring about a comprehensive and lasting peace, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at a press briefing when asked by a reporter to comment on Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova’s statement accusing the West of engaging in self-promotion and trying to squeeze Russia out of Transcaucasia.
“First, we would certainly take issue with a characterization of our efforts being self-promotional. There is nothing self-promotional about seeking to put an end to years of conflict and to years of flare-ups that have led to violence and ultimately to deaths, both on the part of Armenians and the citizens of Azerbaijan,” said Price.
“Our only goal here is to see and to help these countries work together to bring about a comprehensive and lasting peace, and ultimately to save lives. I don’t know what about that can be construed as self-promotional,” the spokesperson added.
Price reiterated Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s continued advocacy for the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations and his encouraging “both leaders to meet in whatever format is most useful to them.”
“We believe direct dialogue is key to resolving issues and to reaching a lasting peace. It’s why Secretary Blinken brought together his foreign minister counterparts from Armenia and Azerbaijan in New York City in September, the first time that the two had been in the same room since the recent flare-up of violence,” said Price. “It’s ultimately for Armenia and for Azerbaijan to decide whether President Putin’s invitation would be helpful or useful to them in pursuit of that lasting peace.”
“Russia’s 2008 invasion of Georgia and its ongoing brutal invasion of Ukraine suggests that Moscow has little respect for its neighbors’ sovereignty and is hardly a reliable, long-term partner. But ultimately, this is going to be a decision that Armenian and Azerbaijan will have to reach,” added Price.
“There is ultimately no greater support than the United States for the sovereignty and the independence of the countries in the South Caucasus. The restoration of Armenia, Azerbaijan’s, and Georgia’s independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union was a seminal event that guaranteed each of these countries the right to pursue their own foreign policy interests independent of Moscow or independent of any other country,” Price said.
On Tuesday, Armenia’s National Security chief Armen Grigoryan held a telephone conversation with Amanda Sloat, the Senior Director for Europe at the U.S. National Security Council.
Grigoryan’s office that that the two discussed the agenda of expansion and development of Armenia-US bilateral relations.