U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to cease hostilities against Armenia immediately and pull forces back from the border, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told a press briefing on Wednesday, September 14.
"We are deeply concerned about continued attacks along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. We’ve seen continued attacks now for a second straight day. We are particularly disturbed by continued reports of civilians being harmed inside Armenia," Price said.
"As you know, Secretary Blinken, shortly after hostilities broke out earlier this week, had an opportunity overnight to speak to the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. He conveyed our deep concern over military actions along their shared border, including reports of shelling inside Armenia. He urged President Aliyev to cease hostilities immediately, to disengage military forces, to pull forces back from the border, and to cease hostilities that could endanger civilians, and to work to resolve all outstanding issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan through peaceful negotiations.
Ambassador Philip Reeker, who is the U.S. senior advisor for Caucasus negotiations, is still in Baku, Price said. He has met with senior Azerbaijani leaders and President Aliyev. Assistant Secretary Karen Donfried of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, meanwhile, spoke with Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov of Azerbaijan earlier on Wednesday.
The Armenian Defense Ministry said on Thursday morning that no significant incidents were registered overnight. 105 Armenians have been confirmed dead so far.
