Sullivan had separate phone calls with Hikmet Hajiyev, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s top foreign policy aide, and Armen Grigorian, the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, on the 11th day of the road blockade imposed by Baku.
“Mr. Sullivan noted our ongoing concern over impeded access to the Lachin Corridor and the growing humanitarian implications of this situation, and called for full restoration of free movement through the corridor,” the White House said in a statement
The U.S. State Department has repeatedly voiced such calls since the vital Karabakh road was blocked by Azerbaijani protesters on December 12.
The European Union has also called on Baku to ensure renewed traffic through it. The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov discussed the matter in a phone call on Thursday.
Bayramov was reported to the defend the Azerbaijanis camped out at the Lachin corridor, saying that they are protesting against “illegal” mining in Karabakh. He also claimed that they did not shut off the road leading to Armenia.
According to the White House’s readout of Sullivan’s calls, the U.S., Armenian and Azerbaijani officials also “took stock of the progress made in EU and U.S.-facilitated peace talks since their joint September 27 meeting in Washington.”
“All affirmed their commitment to negotiations with the goal of finalizing a peace agreement,” added the statement.