The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers announced that they will meet separately with U.S. diplomat Mike Pompeo on Friday (October 23) in Washington, while fighting between Baku and Yerevan-backed separatists continues in Nagorno Karabakh.
However, they exclude any possibility of a tripartite meeting.
Read also: Nagorno-Karabakh: Mingachevir and its dam at the mercy of Armenian fire
The United States, like Russia, have increased calls for a ceasefire since the resumption of hostilities three weeks ago in Nagorno Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian region that seceded from Azerbaijan after the fall of the United States. USSR, during a war which killed 30,000 people.
A first humanitarian truce was announced in Moscow on October 10, then another this weekend.
But neither of them was respected.
According to partial reports, these new fights have left more than 800 dead, including a hundred civilians.
Each camp also claims to have killed thousands of enemies.
Since a ceasefire in 1994, the Minsk mediation group, co-chaired by Russia, France and the United States, has tried to resolve the conflict, without success.
Read also: Nagorny Karabakh: Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of violating the truce
Azerbaijan claims to have reconquered territories during the last fighting, without however gaining a decisive military victory.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev claimed responsibility for the capture of around 20 villages on Tuesday.
“
I call once again on the Armenian leadership to withdraw from Azerbaijani territories before it is too late.
Then we will cease hostilities,
”he said in a televised speech.
On Twitter, the Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pachinian, called him “
violation of international law
” the fact of “
forcing
” the Armenians of Karabakh to live “
under Azerbaijani domination
”.