US State Department: Upcoming Meeting Between Blinken von der Leyen and Pashinyan to Focus on Armenia’s Economic Resilience

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Brussels, where together with USAID Administrator Power will join a U.S.-EU trilateral meeting with Armenia, together with European Commission President von der Leyen and Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan, State Department spokesman Mathew Miller told a press briefing on Wednesday.

“The focus of this meeting is on economic resilience to help Armenia diversify its trade partnerships and address humanitarian needs. I fail to see why that would be escalatory or would be of a concern to any country in the world,” Miller said.

“it’s purely Armenia, not Azerbaijan,” the Spokesperson said.

Asked whether the issues with Azerbaijan may come up during the meeting Miller said,’ I suppose it’s always possible, it could come up on the margins of the meeting, in that type of conversation, but that’s not the focus of the meeting. The meeting in Brussels is to focus on Armenia’s economic resilience as it works to diversify its trade partnerships and address humanitarian needs.”

Asked about Azerbaijan’s allegations that the U.S. and EU might share responsibility for potential escalation following this meeting. Miller said,’ So I obviously would not agree with those comments. The focus of this meeting is on economic resilience to help Armenia diversify its trade partnerships and address humanitarian needs. I fail to see why that would be escalatory or would be of a concern to any country in the world.’

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday “the upcoming meeting in Brussels will be dedicated to strengthening Armenia-EU-US cooperation and is not and could not be directed against any third party.”