Page 12 - GEORptJul22

2.6 US assistant secretary of state visits South Caucasus countries
US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Asian Affairs Karen Donfried visited Baku over June 15-16, Tbilisi on June 17 and Yerevan on June 18.
In her press conference in Baku, Donfried mentioned that she met Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, but she did not disclose the details of the meeting, saying only that they discussed "issues of regional security and cooperation, the war in Ukraine and Azerbaijan's role and importance in these processes."
In Tbilisi, Donfried attended the Tbilisi International Women’s Conference organised by President Salome Zourabishvili. She gave opening remarks, met PM Irakli Garibashvili and Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili to express the US' readiness to help Georgia implement recommended democratic reforms and continue on its Euro-Atlantic path. Donfried also discussed Ukraine and current challenges in Georgia with civil society representatives.
In Armenia, Donfried discussed with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the activities of the Delimitation and Border Security Commission in which Armenia and Azerbaijan are participating.
According to the press service of the Government of Armenia, Pashinyan asked for an adequate response from the international community to provocative statements and actions that undermine regional stability he said were made by Azerbaijan. At the same time, Pashinyan stressed the key role of the United States as a country co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group and pointed out the importance of the process of a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing. This was certainly a response to Azerbaijani President Aliyev who declared that "any speculation about the Minsk Group in Armenia or any other country only irritates Azerbaijan" on June 16.
Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan also spoke about the required settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and repeated the need for a complete resumption of peace talks aimed at a comprehensive and long-term settlement of the conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.
The purpose of the Donfried visit to the region was to “emphasize the U.S. commitment to peace, democracy, and prosperity in the South Caucasus region,” according to a press release from the US Department of State.
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