Blinken urges peace as he brings together Azerbaijan, Armenia
GBNEWS24DESK//
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday urged lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan as he brought together their top diplomats for the first time since deadly border clashes.
Looking somber, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov sat on opposite sides of Blinken at a hotel in New York ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, AFP reports.
Blinken said he was “encouraged” there had been no violence for several days.
“Strong, sustainable diplomatic engagement is the best path for everyone,” Blinken said.
“There is a path to a durable peace that resolves the differences,” he said.
The national security council in Armenia revised its death toll from the fighting last week from 136 to 207, taking total fatalities on both sides to 286.
The flare-up last week was the worst fighting since the 2020 war and has jeopardized the nascent peace process between the arch foes.
The new Armenian toll included two civilians, the security council said.
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