The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers have met in New York in their first talks since recent deadly border clashes claimed more than 200 lives.
The meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov was arranged by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly in a bid to ease tensions and maintain a fragile cease-fire between the two countries.
"We are encouraged by the fact that the fighting has ceased and there has not been" a resumption of shelling, Blinken said. "Strong, sustainable diplomatic engagement is the best path for everyone. There is a path to a durable peace that resolves the differences."
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Bayramov said his country was "satisfied with the level of relations" with Washington and said his direct talks with Mirzoyan were not unusual.
"We are always open for meetings," he said.
The meeting came after Armenia said the clashes last week -- the worst fighting since a six-week war in 2020 – left 207 people dead or missing on its side alone.
The new Armenian toll included two civilians who are missing, the country's Security Council said on September 19 during a meeting led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. It said 293 troops and three civilians were wounded and 20 troops were captured.
Baku has reported 79 deaths among its military.
A statement adopted by the Security Council called on the international community to continue to put pressure on Azerbaijan to end the occupation of the sovereign territories of Armenia and to withdraw its troops.
In Istanbul, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay on September 19 responded critically to statements made over the weekend by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Democrat-California) on a visit to Yerevan.
Pelosi's comments during her visit to Armenia "are incompatible with historical and current facts, completely devoid of goodwill, reflecting a biased point of view, and sabotaging diplomatic efforts are never acceptable," Oktay said on Twitter.
The White House should clarify whether her statements reflect the official view of the United States, he said, suggesting that her message might have been for ethnic Armenians who live in California.
Pelosi was accompanied by Representatives Jackie Speier and Anna Eshoo, (Democrats-California), who have Armenian heritage and who face reelection in November, and Representative Frank Pallone (Democrat-New Jersey).
Pelosi blamed Azerbaijan for the latest outbreak of fighting with Armenia during her trip, which she said had particular significance following the "illegal and deadly attacks by Azerbaijan" on Armenia.
SEE ALSO: On Visit To Armenia, U.S. House Speaker Pelosi Blames Azerbaijan For Recent Outbreak Of Fighting"We strongly condemn those attacks," Pelosi added, saying the border fighting was triggered by Azerbaijani attacks on Armenia.
Baku and Yerevan have been locked in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh for years. Armenian-backed separatists seized the mainly Armenian-populated region from Azerbaijan during a war in the early 1990s that killed some 30,000 people.
The two sides fought another war in 2020 that lasted six weeks before a Russia-brokered cease-fire, resulting in Armenia losing control over parts of the region and seven adjacent districts.
In the latest spasm of violence, the two countries traded artillery and mortar fire across their shared border, and Azerbaijani forces targeted sites within the borders of Armenia itself.
Russia, which maintains ties with both countries, brokered a cease-fire not long after the fighting erupted, but clashes continued.