(MENAFN- AzerNews)
By Vugar Khalilov
Philip Reeker, Senior Adviser for Caucasus Negotiations of the
US State Department, has arrived in Azerbaijan, Azernews reports,
citing the US embassy in Azerbaijan.
During the visit, which will last until September 14, Reeker
will discuss US support for diplomatic efforts between Azerbaijan
and Armenia toward lasting peace, the embassy said.
As part of his South Caucasus trip, the senior advisor also paid
a visit to Armenia and Georgia to discuss regional, as well as
global security and stability with the relevant government
officials.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken named Reeker as senior
advisor for Caucasus negotiations on August 24, 2022. In this
position, he serves as co-chair of the US OSCE Minsk Group and
principal negotiator for the US delegation to the Geneva
International Discussions.
“I have appointed Ambassador Philip Reeker as Senior Advisor for
Caucasus Negotiations and Minsk Group Co-Chair. Ambassador Reeker's
appointment reaffirms our commitment to peaceful resolution of
conflicts in the South Caucasus,” Blinken wrote on his Twitter
account.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan protested against this decision of the US,
saying that the resurrection efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group may
lead to the alienation of the country from the Azerbaijan-Armenia
normalization process, Azernews reports, citing Foreign Ministry
Spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva.
“Attempts to `resuscitate' the de-facto non-functioning Minsk
Group may result in the USA to be estranged from the process of
normalization of the Azerbaijani-Armenian relations,” Abdullayeva
stressed.
The spokesperson described the press statement as“surprising”
and“an approach far from the post-conflict reality in the
region”.
According to the diplomat, Azerbaijan's position on the Minsk
Group has been consistently and unequivocally stated at the highest
level.
“The Karabakh conflict has been resolved and Karabakh is an
integral part of Azerbaijan. The international community, including
our partners, should understand that connecting negotiation on the
normalization of the Azerbaijani-Armenian relations with the
Karabakh issue does not serve normalization at all,” Abdullayeva
emphasized.
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