On September 18, 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, received the delegation led by Joshua Huck, Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs of the United States.

Axar.az informs that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported this.

During the meeting, bilateral and multilateral cooperation issues between Azerbaijan and the United States, as well as the regional situation in the post-conflict period and prospects for the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, were discussed.

The cooperation between Azerbaijan and the US was highly appreciated in the context of preparations for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which Azerbaijan will host this year.

Despite efforts to create a positive dynamic in bilateral relations and identify cooperation prospects, it was pointed out that some biased statements by US officials have negatively affected these relations. In this regard, it was emphasized that the recent statements by Isobel Coleman, Deputy Administrator of USAID, during her visit to the Armenian Embassy in the US on September 16, regarding Azerbaijan, were disrespectful to Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and aimed at distorting facts related to Azerbaijan’s recent anti-terrorism measures that ended the illegal presence of Armenian armed forces in its sovereign territories.

During the meeting, information was provided on the situation in the region during the post-conflict period and the peace agreement process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It was reiterated that Azerbaijan, as the initiator of the key elements of the peace process with Armenia, is interested in establishing peace and stability in the region. The threat of landmines in the region was also mentioned, and potential cooperation in this area was considered.

Despite significant progress in peace negotiations, the most serious obstacle to signing a final peace agreement was emphasized as Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijan, which persist in the Armenian Constitution and several other legal and political documents. Additionally, it was stated that Armenia’s militarization policies do not serve peace and stability in the region.

The meeting also included an exchange of views on other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.