OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON
JULY 14, 2021

Secretary Antony J. Blinken spoke yesterday with Armenian acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia. The Secretary offered hearty congratulations to the people of Armenia following the June 20 elections, in which the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights found that voters’ fundamental rights and freedoms were generally respected, and contestants were able to campaign freely. He urged continued democratic reforms.

The Secretary highlighted U.S. support for the Minsk Group Co-Chairs process aimed at a lasting political settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He encouraged Armenia to engage constructively at the OSCE. Secretary Blinken reaffirmed his support for the expeditious return of all Armenian detainees from Azerbaijan to Armenia.