Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed Armenia’s peace talks with Azerbaijan and the situation on the Lachin Corridor in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday (11 July).
A statement released by the Armenian government said that "the interlocutors reviewed the situation in the region, ongoing negotiations on the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, necessary steps to ensure the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, including the need for a Baku-Stepanakert dialogue with international involvement".
"Prime Minister Pashinian referred to the deepening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from Azerbaijan's illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor and steps necessary for overcoming it," it added without elaborating.
Armenia argues that actions of the Azerbaijani side over the past months on the Lachin Corridor constitute a "blockade" of Nagorno-Karabakh, however Azerbaijan has continually rejected this.
Speaking in Baku on Tuesday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stressed the importance of Armenia’s recognition of Azerbaijani sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh, which was declared by PM Pashinyan in May.
"Now, however, the time has come to put those words to paper," Aliyev said, referring to the peace deal currently discussed by Baku and Yerevan.