YEREVAN. – Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia on Saturday received Philip Reeker, the new US Senior Adviser for Caucasus Negotiations and new Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group for the US, informed the Prime Minister's Office.

First, the premier congratulated Reeker on his appointment to this responsible position, and welcomed his current visit to the region.

Pashinyan stressed the important role of the US as a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group in the process of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict. Also, he underscored the need for the restoration of the negotiation process within the framework of the co-chairmanship of the Minsk Group and the use of the latter's experience in the context of achieving a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

The interlocutors discussed a number of matters related to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

Also, they reflected on the humanitarian issues caused by the 44-day Artsakh war in the fall of 2020. In this connection, the need for the immediate return of Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees still kept in Azerbaijan, and the preservation of Armenian cultural and religious heritage in the territories that have passed under Azerbaijani control, was emphasized.

Thoughts were exchanged also on the process of normalizing Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and some other topics related to regional stability and security.