BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 18. The delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Joshua Huck met with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to discuss bilateral and multilateral cooperation, the post-conflict region, and normalization prospects with Armenia, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, TurkicWorld reports.
"The meeting discussed issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United States, as well as the regional situation in the post-conflict period, and prospects for the process of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The collaboration between Azerbaijan and the United States in the preparations for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which Azerbaijan will host this year, was much valued.
It was noted that notwithstanding attempts to foster positive dynamics in bilateral relations and explore avenues for collaboration, the biases of certain US officials adversely impact these connections. Specifically, the remarks made by Deputy Administrator of the US Agency for International Development, Isabelle Coleman, at the Armenian Embassy in the United States on September 16 regarding Azerbaijan were highlighted as disrespectful to Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, constituting a distortion of the facts concerning local anti-terrorist operations that terminated the illegal presence of Armenian armed forces on the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan.
During the meeting, the delegation was briefed on the regional situation in the post-conflict period and the ongoing normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. As the initiator of key elements in the peace process, Azerbaijan is committed to fostering peace and stability in the region. The presence of landmine threats was highlighted, and potential cooperation to address this issue was explored.
It was emphasized that, despite significant advancements in peace negotiations, the most pressing obstacle to finalizing an agreement remains Armenia's continued territorial claims outlined in various legal and political documents, including its constitution.
Additionally, it was pointed out that Armenia's militarization policy undermines efforts toward regional peace and stability.
The discussions included a range of other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest," the ministry stated.
