U.S. Hosts Key Meeting Between Armenia and Azerbaijan in New York

On September 26, 2024, a diplomatic meeting took place in New York, bringing together U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. The trilateral meeting occurred during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), with hopes of progressing peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

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The meeting, initiated by Secretary Blinken, started at 10:15 a.m. local time (6:15 p.m. Armenia time) and lasted for approximately one hour and 15 minutes. The closed-door discussion gave both Armenian and Azerbaijani officials an opportunity to continue addressing their ongoing disputes and work towards a lasting peace agreement.

While the media was not allowed to cover the meeting directly, reports suggest that the talks focused on advancing efforts to conclude a formal Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in a fragile peace process, particularly after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ethnic cleansing and war.

The New York meeting is part of ongoing international efforts to mediate between Armenia and Azerbaijan, two neighboring countries with a long history of conflict. This latest round of talks holds importance not only for the future of relations between the two countries but also for regional stability in the South Caucasus.

Secretary Blinken’s involvement shows the active role of the U.S. in these peace negotiations. The U.S. has consistently been a key player, working alongside other international actors such as the European Union and Russia, in facilitating dialogue between the two sides.

During the meeting, the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers reportedly discussed the ongoing negotiations for a peace agreement aimed at formally establishing interstate relations. This agreement, once finalized, could bring an end to the decades-long territorial and political disputes that have plagued both nations.

While the details of the meeting remain private, both sides have expressed gratitude to the U.S. for organizing the talks. The presence of Secretary Blinken is seen as a strong indicator of the U.S. commitment to seeing a peaceful resolution through to its conclusion.

Armenia and Azerbaijan’s peace process remains complex, with numerous unresolved issues including border demarcation, the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the safe return of forcibly displaced ethnic Armenians. However, both countries have expressed their intention to intensify their efforts toward finalizing a peace deal in the shortest possible time. The continued involvement of international mediators, like the U.S., adds momentum to this process.