Blinken informed that he had received reports about the upcoming April 5th trilateral meeting between the U.S., the European Union, and Armenia causing concern for Azerbaijan. He deemed it essential to discuss this issue with President Ilham Aliyev to clarify the situation, AZERTAC informed.
The Secretary of State highlighted that the main essence of the mentioned meeting would focus on the economic development issues of Armenia.
President Ilham Aliyev noted, based on his information, that the preparation process for the trilateral meeting involved discussions on military support for Armenia, conducting joint military exercises, creating military infrastructure in areas bordering Azerbaijan, and arming Armenia at the expense of the European Union and U.S. budgets. The head of state emphasized that such steps, carrying an anti-Azerbaijani character including France’s policy of arming Armenia, would lead to an arms race in the region and provoke provocations.
During the phone conversation, Antony Blinken stressed that the April 5th meeting is not aimed against Azerbaijan.
The conversation also covered discussions on peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev stated that the negotiations conducted in Berlin by the foreign ministers on the peace agreement text were conducive to advancing the process and highlighted the need to accelerate the negotiations.
Additionally, the head of state underscored that the Western accusations of Azerbaijan intending to attack Armenia are entirely unfounded.
President Ilham Aliyev reported that during a press conference in Paris on April 2nd, the French Foreign Minister falsely accused Azerbaijan of disrespecting Armenia’s territorial integrity and being a threat to Armenia.
The head of state reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to the declarations made at the Prague meeting in 2022 and the Alma-Ata Declaration.
According to President Ilham Aliyev, the opaque preparation and non-inclusive nature of the planned April 5th trilateral meeting between the U.S., the European Union, and Armenia, despite Azerbaijan’s legitimate objections, will lead to the creation of dividing lines in the South Caucasus and, consequently, to tensions rather than peace and cooperation.
The discussion also touched upon bilateral cooperation issues between Azerbaijan and the U.S. Antony Blinken, recalling his discussions with President Ilham Aliyev within the framework of the Munich Security Conference in February of this year, expressed his country’s intention to expand cooperation with Azerbaijan in various fields. He also noted the contacts between the delegations of the two countries within the framework of COP29.
President Ilham Aliyev expressed interest in developing bilateral relations with the U.S. on the directions discussed during the Munich Security Conference and noted that COP29 offers good opportunities for cooperation between our countries in the area of climate change and the development of green technologies.
