YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. Cessation of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan, specifically in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, continues to be of great importance to United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, State Department Principal Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a press briefing on April 20.

Patel was asked to comment on the recent unannounced trips of United States Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations, United States Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Louis Bono and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Erika Olson to Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“I don’t have any specific readout to offer,” Patel said. “You’ve heard me say this again – that ensuring a cessation of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan, specifically in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, continues to be of great importance to Secretary Blinken. He had the opportunity to meet with the leaders of these countries a number of weeks ago on the margins of the Munich Security Conference. It’s something that we continue to be deeply engaged on. It’s something that Mr. Bono continues to be engaged on in addition to others in this department as well. But I just don’t have any specific updates to offer," he added. 

“I’m just not going to get ahead of any scheduling, but I’m sure we’ll have more to share soon,” the State Department spokesperson said when asked whether or not to expect a new ministerial meeting anytime soon.