On September 1, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a phone call to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
During the telephone conversation, they exchanged views on the issues related to the opening of the Aghdam-Khankendi and Lachin-Khankendi roads.
The head of state noted that Armenia and the puppet regime, which it created and continues to support in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, are preventing the opening of the Aghdam-Khankendi road in a biased manner, creating artificial barriers and obstacles to prevent the use of this road, and refused the initial agreement reached on the transportation of goods via this road through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The President of Azerbaijan pointed out that refusing to use the Aghdam-Khankendi road in this form is a political manipulation, and it is a deliberate lie to claim that there is a humanitarian or food crisis in that area. The President said that following the opening of the Aghdam-Khankendi road, the Lachin-Khankendi road can be opened by applying Azerbaijan's customs and border control regime rules. President Ilham Aliyev stressed that all manifestations of separatism are unacceptable to Azerbaijan.
President Ilham Aliyev underlined that the bringing of goods, which they claim were for humanitarian purposes, by Armenia to Azerbaijan's “Lachin” border crossing point without agreement with the Azerbaijani side is interference in Azerbaijan's internal affairs and disregard for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country. The Azerbaijani President said that such a policy of Armenia seriously damaged the peace treaty negotiations.
The head of state noted that food cargo was delivered to that area through the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society, but the illegal separatist regime refused it.
President Ilham Aliyev recalled that representatives of the Armenian population of Azerbaijan's Karabakh were invited to the capital, Baku and other cities of the country to hold discussions on reintegration issues, but they rejected the proposition.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that they will continue their efforts towards signing a peace treaty and normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, stressing that they support direct contacts between Baku and Khankendi.
