BAKU. June 28 (Interfax) - Washington is ready to organize in the United States a new meeting between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, James O'Brien, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs , said.
He said he hopes the two countries' foreign ministers will find a way to meet in the near future. If it happens in Washington, the United States will be happy to host them in any role it can play, O'Brien said. There are many channels, and both sides are maintaining very effective direct communication, he said. The U.S. is involved in this process as a friend and is ready to help all it can, O'Brien told reporters in Baku on Friday.
The establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan after a conflict that lasted more than 30 years will be a lengthy process, but it will then develop in deeper relations between societies, he said, adding that the recent agreements on border delimitation were a very important step forward.
O'Brien also said the sale by France of weapons to Armenia does not cause concerns in Washington about the situation in the South Caucasus.
The information on the sale by France of weapons to Armenia came from the media, so these are not coordinated efforts, O'Brien said. Armenia is looking to become a stable state, a partner that is independent of Russia because Russia's assistance is often provided on certain conditions and with an influence that negatively impacts the development of the region, O'Brien said.
Washington and Baku can deepen cooperation on regional security, he said. The counties are already doing it effectively, but Washington hopes that they can do more as the efforts progress, ensuring peace and security, eliminating the threats that are coming from outside the region and generally strengthening confidence inside the region, he said.
O'Brien met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on Friday.
According to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, the sides discussed issues relating to the Baku-Washington bilateral and multilateral agenda, the current state and prospects of the process of normalization between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and regional issues. Bayramov informed O'Brien about the situation in the region in the post-conflict period and the negotiation process on the peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
"The minister said that, despite the considerable progress on the peace treaty, the Constitution of Armenia and other legislative acts still contain territorial claims on Azerbaijan. Therefore, it is important to make changes to the Constitution," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said. Bayramov said militarization of Armenia does not serve peace and stability in the South Caucasus.
The meeting participants also exchanged opinions on bilateral and regional issues, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.
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