10:42,
YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. Steps that are going to incite tensions and elevate tensions are certainly unproductive right now as talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan are proceeding in different venues, U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel has said.
“So we look forward to hosting another round of talks in Washington soon as the parties continue to pursue a peaceful future in the South Caucasus region. We continue to believe direct dialogue is key to resolving issues and reaching a durable and dignified peace,” Patel said at the June 21 press briefing.
“…we continue to believe that steps that are going to incite tensions and elevate tensions are certainly unproductive right now as talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan are proceeding in different venues. And so we’ll continue to engage on this and look forward to hosting another round of talks very soon,” he added, when asked to comment on the border shootings.
Patel was also asked to comment on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s accusation claiming that Washington is actually attempting to squeeze Russia out of the region in mediating between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“If Russia thinks that they can play a constructive role in this, certainly they are welcome to, but we continue to feel that these talks are progressing, they’re proceeding,” the U.S. State Department spokesperson said.
“The United States has been an important partner in this. The Secretary personally has been engaged on this,” he said, adding that “we think direct dialogue is key to resolving this issue and reaching a durable and dignified peace and we also continue to think that dialogue can’t be replaced in this process.”
Azerbaijan is intermittently shelling Armenian positions and civilian facilities in cross-border shooting attacks. Furthermore, a U.S.-affiliated company’s construction site in the Armenian border village of Yeraskh came under Azeri gunfire several times, resulting in two construction workers being wounded.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has been generating an intensive disinformation campaign aimed at falsely accusing Armenia of shootings.
