On June 9, Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker had a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, informs the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

During the meeting, high-ranking officials of Armenia and U.S. foreign services discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest. Special reference was made to the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the immediate repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and detained civilians, as well as the situation following the incursion of the Azerbaijani armed forces into the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.

Both sides reiterated the exclusive role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ format in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The parties highlighted the importance of addressing current humanitarian issues and the unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to Artsakh.

The US side underscored the need to de-escalate the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, reaffirming the position of the State Department as stated in the May 27 statement: the Azerbaijani armed forces should withdraw to their positions of May 11.

The parties also exchanged views on the human rights protection and prevention of crimes against humanity. The importance of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide was also emphasized to prevent such crimes in the future.

The sides also discussed further cooperation in the framework of the Armenia-US Strategic Dialogue.