Blinken, Pashinyan Discuss Karabakh Escalation

YEREVAN — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken the latest upsurge in violence in Nagorno-Karabakh during a phone conversation on Friday.

According to the Armenian government’s readout of the call, Pashinyan accused Azerbaijan of “deviating” from key terms of the Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped the 2020 war in Karabakh. He also reaffirmed his administration’s stated commitment to “regional peace and stability.”

“Secretary of State Blinken expressed concern about the tension and willingness to assist in stabilizing the situation,” added the statement.

Blinken and the State Department did not immediately make any statements on the call.

The department spokesman, Ned Price, called for “immediate steps to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation” on Wednesday hours after two Karabakh Armenian soldiers were killed and 19 others wounded in fighting with Azerbaijani forces.

“The recent increase in tensions underscores the need for a negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining issues related to or resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” said Price.

Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed, among other things, the situation in the Karabakh conflict zone when they spoke on Thursday.