US says does not recognize so-called election in Karabakh region

By Iclal Turan

WASHINTON (AA) - The US on Monday said it does not recognize the so-called election held by Armenians in territories of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region.

During a press briefing, State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said that the US does not recognize Karabakh as "an independent and sovereign state, and therefore we do not recognize the results of those so-called presidential election that were announced over the last few days".

"The United States will continue to strongly support efforts by Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve outstanding issues through direct dialogue," he continued.

Miller also recalled the calls made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the weekend that appealed for the "immediate and simultaneous opening in the Lachin and Aghdam routes to allow passage of desperately needed humanitarian supplies".

"We urge the leaders, as the Secretary did in his calls, against taking any actions that raise tensions or distract from this goal," he added.

On Saturday, separatist Armenians in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan held self-proclaimed elections to elect a new separatist president, a move condemned by is not recognized by many countries, including Azerbaijan, Türkiye, the UK, and the EU.