SOUTH CAUCASUS

Every engagement of the US with Azerbaijan and Armenia is aimed at reaching a durable peace, US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said during a briefing on March 26, Trend reports.

„Our objectives in every engagement with the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan are to encourage them to work to bridge the differences between the two countries and reach a durable and lasting peace agreement“, he said.

US State Department’s Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Louis Bono will visit Azerbaijan this week, the US embassy in Baku told Trend.

“During his travel to the region this week, Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Louis Bono will meet with senior Azerbaijani officials to discuss efforts to achieve a durable peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia,” said the embassy.

Azerbaijan possesses a significant number of resources, especially in wind and solar energy, Rolande Pryce, WB Regional Director for the South Caucasus, told Trend.

Peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which took place last week in Washington, United States, may bring the long-awaited peace to the South Caucasus.

It has been 31 years since the bloodiest massacre carried out by the armed forces of Armenia in the course of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. The destruction of the once thriving city of Khojaly and the genocide against the civilian population is one of the worst crimes ever committed against defenseless civilians.

“We shall export our revolution to the whole world”, said the late Ayatollah Khomeini, whose Iranian revolution has been officially celebrating its 44^th anniversary this week. With the world’s attention focused primarily on Ukraine, most people missed the current Iranian president’s recent speech and the anti-regime hacker attack during his live internet broadcast of the address.

During a meeting with members of the government, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stressed that international organizations are aware of the new realities in the region after the war with Armenia in 2020, which resulted in the liberation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Contacts between Azerbaijan and the European Union have intensified since the war. The European Union has accepted the realities of the post-conflict period. This month, at the initiative of the President of the European Council, Mr Charles Michel, tripartite meetings were held.

Azerbaijan is most important trading partner for Germany in South Caucasus, Germany helping Azerbaijani economy to diversify. In 30 years Azerbaijan came closer to EU, head of the German Foreign Ministry's Office for Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia Matthias Luttenberg wrote on his Twitter page.

Zangazur corridor is important for both Azerbaijan and Armenia, a Russian economist and the Head of New Society Institute Vasily Koltashov, stated.

According to Koltashov, the Zangazur corridor will allow Armenia to realize its potential in the transit economy. He notes that Armenia needs to activate and simplify economic ties with neighboring countries.

The UK will continue to be a reliable partner of Azerbaijan, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in his message at VIII Global Baku Forum - "The World after COVID-19", Trend reports.

The message of the British prime minister was read by the deputy head of the British diplomatic mission in Baku, Philip Barclay.