US Ambassador to the OSCE Michael Carpenter spoke at the OSCE Permanent Council, addressing the latest Armenian-Azerbaijani developments. The speech states explicitly:

“The United States remains deeply engaged in helping Armenia and Azerbaijan work toward a comprehensive peace agreement. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met at the White House on September 27 with Hikmet Hajiyev, Advisor to the President of Azerbaijan, and Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, to advance the peace process. On October 4, Secretary of State Blinken had a trilateral conversation with Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov. He encouraged confidence building and further progress in their negotiations. Secretary of State Blinken also expressed our gratitude for the positive steps taken by Armenia and Azerbaijan towards reaching a stable peace agreement, highlighting the return of 17 prisoners of war from Azerbaijan to Armenia.

We continue to encourage Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve the unresolved issues at the negotiating table. Without reconciliation, there will be no lasting peace, and diplomacy is the only way to achieve that goal. Last week's horrifying video on social media showing Azerbaijani armed forces executing unarmed Armenian prisoners must be thoroughly and impartially investigated. Those responsible for any torture of detainees must be held accountable. We take note of the investigation initiated by the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan and remind the parties to uphold their obligations to return all prisoners of war promptly and to treat prisoners by their international obligations.

The recent ceasefire violations on September 13-14 and September 28 are of great concern to the United States. The United States encourages Armenia and Azerbaijan to maintain a sustainable ceasefire, withdraw and withdraw their armed forces, and continue border demarcation negotiations to support a peace settlement. We reiterate our call to the Azerbaijani troops to return to their original positions before the outbreak of hostilities on the night of September 12. Border disputes should be resolved through negotiations, not violence. The deaths of Armenian soldiers and Azerbaijani civilians from landmines over the past week clearly and tragically demonstrate the ongoing humanitarian consequences of this conflict.

Finally, Mr. President, the United States strongly supports the activation of the OSCE's confidence-building and conflict prevention tools, including establishing a Fact-Finding Mission, as requested by Armenia. We call on Armenia and Azerbaijan to take urgent steps to de-escalate tensions, build trust and be accountable to international obligations and responsibilities. We encourage further progress on resolving the missing people and returning all remaining prisoners of war. The United States supports a comprehensive peace process and is committed to working bilaterally through close partners like the European Union and international organizations like the OSCE."