Below is attributed to spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Foreign Minister Antony J. Blinken spoke by phone today with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev. The Secretary commended President Aliyev for last week’s announcement that Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to use the 1991 Alma Ata Declaration as the basis for border delimitation and for the conclusion of a durable and honorable peace for both sides. Emphasized importance. The Secretary urged President Aliyev to maintain momentum with his Armenian counterpart, reiterating the United States’ willingness to support those efforts. Secretary Blinken underlined our desire for a stronger U.S.-Azerbaijani bilateral relationship while collaborating on mutual energy, climate, and connectivity goals, and in keeping with our efforts to ensure the success of COP 29 in Baku. He welcomed Azerbaijan’s release of Gubad Ibadoglu from detention as a humanitarian gesture and called for his full, early release. Secretary Blinken again urged Azerbaijan to abide by its international human rights obligations and commitments and to release those unjustly detained in Azerbaijan.
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