YEREVAN, MARCH 7, ARTSAKHPRESS. The United States is not competing with Russia with its efforts to bring about the settlement and resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at a press briefing on March 6.
“This is a question for the parties themselves, and we are not going to put ourselves against any other offer of mediation, and in fact we’re not a mediator. We are a partner to the two countries. I think we have demonstrated both in word and in deed the nature of our relationship with the two countries, our ability to bring the two countries together, our willingness and readiness to help bring about additional progress in relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Price said when asked why the Western mediation is a better option given that Russian FM Lavrov recently called on the parties to stick to Moscow’s mediation.
“We are not doing this as a means by which to compete with Moscow. We are doing this in an effort to bring about the settlement and resolution of a longstanding dispute between these two countries, and unfortunately a dispute that has consistently taken lives, just as it did on March 5th,” Price said, referring to the Azeri ambush in Nagorno Karabakh (NK) which killed three NK police officers.
“Our interest here is in peace and security. It’s in the interests of the people of Armenia and Azerbaijan as well,” Price added.
