Turkish FM and US State Secretary discuss issues including Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke over the phone on Thursday to exchange views on the implementation of the grain deal between Russia and Ukraine, the recent situation regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and coordination against Russian aggression in Ukraine.

"Blinken commended the Turkish diplomatic efforts that led to the first shipment of Ukrainian grain leaving the Black Sea since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and emphasized the importance of working together to see to it that additional ships are able to depart," a statement of the US State Department said.

Blinken also raised the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, noting that the US is ready to engage bilaterally, and through its role as an OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) Minsk Group co-chair to facilitate dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia and help achieve a long-term political settlement to the conflict.

A ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan has recently been violated in a disputed territory in Nagorno-Karabakh, allegedly by Azerbaijani forces according to Russia, and clashes left three dead and many injured on both sides. Turkey is a strategic partner and one of the major arms providers of Azerbaijan.

Blinken and Cavusoglu reportedly also discussed ways to advance coordination and NATO unity regarding the threat of further Russian escalation and aggression against Ukraine.