In the Caucasus, we do welcome the resumption of direct dialogue between the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and we urge them to make progress on humanitarian issues including detainees, demining, missing persons, with investigations of alleged human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law with the perpetrators held accountable.  And I hope there, we can all work together including with Russia to continue to make progress. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated this Thursday at the OSCE Ministerial Council session in Stockholm, Sweden.

“We urge all parties to resolve other outstanding issues like border delimitation and demarcation, the restoration of economic and transport links, and to continue to engage with the Minsk Group co-chairs for a lasting peaceful end to the Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] conflict,” Blinken added.