US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. He called on his interlocutor to fulfill his international human rights obligations and release those unjustly imprisoned, said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. Blinken also welcomed the progress made in concluding a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan and “reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting any mutually beneficial cooperation.”
Stressing the importance of bilateral relations between the United States and Azerbaijan, Blinken noted the countries' constructive cooperation on climate and energy issues.
The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan has increased by 16 people over three months and amounted to 303 people. The Union for Freedom of Political Prisoners recently reported this.
