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((INTRO))
[[Secretary of State Antony Blinken brought the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan together for several days of peace talks in Washington, as residents of the ethnic Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan say they have been cut off from food, medicine and gas. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.]]
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptUS-ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN
HEADLINE: Blinken: Hard Work Still Ahead for Armenia, Azerbaijan Peace Talks
TEASER: Secretary of State Antony Blinken says further progress has been made but difficult issues remain
PUBLISHED AT: 6/29/23, 9:16 p.m.
BYLINE: Cindy Saine
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: State Department
VIDEOGRAPHER:
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Reifenrath, MAS, djones approved
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Saine Zoom interview, AFP, Reuters, AP, MRT))
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:48
VID APPROVED BY: Holly Franko
TYPE: TVR
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[Secretary of State Antony Blinken brought the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan together for several days of peace talks in Washington, as residents of the ethnic Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan say they have been cut off from food, medicine and gas. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.]]
((NARRATOR))
Residents of Stepanakert, the capital of the separatist ethnic Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, say they are suffering from a critical lack of food and medicine because their only link to Armenia, the Lachin corridor, has been blockaded.
((Liana Atayan, Stepanakert Resident (in Armenian with English voiceover)))
"Our lifeline road is closed. We have no electricity. It's already being supplied according to an hourly schedule. No gas, no food, what kind of situation is that? Our children, our elderly people and pregnant women don't have fruit and vegetables to eat."
((NARRATOR))
Azerbaijan denies blockading the Lachin corridor, but human rights organizations confirm that the region is cut off.
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held peace talks with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan this week and appeared with both Thursday. Blinken said further progress toward a peace deal has been made, but hard work remains.
((Antony Blinken, Secretary of State))
"The closer you get to reaching agreement, in some cases, the harder it gets, because by definition, the most difficult issues are left for the end. But I very much appreciate the spirit of candor, openness, directness that everyone has exhibited."
((NARRATOR))
The fate of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh is likely one of those difficult issues, with Armenia asking for supply guarantees, and Azerbaijan saying that is not necessary.
Russia, formally a strong backer of Armenia, called for restraint and a peaceful “settling of all contentious issues” Thursday, after four Armenian soldiers were killed in Nagorno-Karabakh Wednesday. Experts tell VOA that Russia’s influence in the region and on the peace process has been severely diminished.
[[Radio Intro: Heather Ashby is with the United States Institute of Peace. She spoke to VOA via Zoom.]]
((Heather Ashby, United States Institute of Peace)) ((Zoom))
“It's also challenging for Armenia, with one of its close partners, Russia, being involved in the war in Ukraine and not playing a more active mediation role."
((NARRATOR))
Armenia has been increasingly looking to the United States and the European Union as more even-handed mediators, Ashby said.
((Heather Ashby, United States Institute of Peace)) ((Zoom))
“And I think for the U.S. position, is they seem like a more balanced mediator than the Russians, who have more negative intentions towards the South Caucasus to keep a conflict going, and so it can maintain its leverage in the region. The U.S. wants to see peace."
((NARRATOR))
Experts say generations of people in the Nagorno-Kababakh region who have grown up with the conflict are exhausted by all the deaths and ready for peace.
Cindy Saine, VOA News, the State Department
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
the State Department
Embargo DateJune 29, 2023 22:45 EDT
Byline
Cindy Saine, VOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
