US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has assumed a key role in the effort to end the military clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan and secure a permanent cease-fire, a senior State Department official said Thursday.

The official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the diplomatic overtures, added that Blinken had spoken to Armenia’s prime minister on Thursday afternoon.

While a cease-fire is in place, the official said that much more must be done to address the causes of the conflict and put in place a formal peace process.

Armenia and Azerbaijan blame each other for starting the fighting that began in the early hours of Tuesday. The latest hostilities have spiraled into the worst confrontation since a 44-day war over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 that killed thousands of soldiers on both sides until Russian President Vladimir Putin brokered a truce.

Azerbaijan reported Tuesday that 50 of its soldiers had died.

The Armenian prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, on Wednesday formally invoked a defense pact calling on Russia and other allies to send military assistance after saying that 105 of his country’s troops had been killed in two days of border combat with Azerbaijan.

The US, according to the State Department official, has yet to see evidence that Russian efforts have had any effect on the cease-fire.

Also Read: Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes: Deadly fight leaves nearly 100 soldiers dead

(Edited by : Sangam Singh)

First Published:Sept 16, 2022 1:12 PM IST