Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev today to urge Azerbaijan to cease military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh immediately and deescalate the situation.

The Secretary emphasized that there is no military solution and that the parties must resume dialogue to resolve outstanding differences between Baku and ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Antony J. Blinken noted President Aliyev’s expressed readiness to halt military actions and for representatives of Azerbaijan and the population of Nagorno-Karabakh to meet, and he underscored the need for immediate implementation.