Evidence of Azerbaijani hostility in Armenia available – US State Department

14.09.2022

Evidence of Azerbaijani hostility in Armenia available – US State Department

State Department spokesperson Ned Price at a news briefing told reporters that proofs of Azerbaijani hostilities inside Armenia are available to the US government. “We have seen significant evidence of Azerbaijani shelling inside Armenia and significant damage to Armenian infrastructure, but most important for us is that both of these parties commit to a cessation of hostilities and commit to a broader de-escalation”, he told reporters. 


He also said that the US is engaged in the settlement of the recent escalation since its early stage. 


“We have seen tensions simmering in the Caucasus for quite some time. It is precisely why we have been concerned about the potential for violence and in more recent hours the reports of attacks along the Armenian-Azerbaijan border. Secretary Blinken has been personally engaged on this,” Ned Price told reporters. 


He also added that US Secretary of State in his phone talks with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev urged the latter “to cease hostilities immediately, to disengage military forces and to work to resolve all outstanding issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan through peaceful negotiations.”


To note, earlier US State Secretary Anthony Blinken had issued a statement which called on cessation of hostilities along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and specifically mentioned the “reported strikes against settlements and civilian infrastructure inside Armenia”.