US House Speaker Pelosi arrives in Armenia: Embassy
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Pelosi will meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan, and other senior officials during her snap visit to Armenia.
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Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is seen arriving in Yerevan
US House Speaker Pelosi arrived in Yerevan on Saturday for her first visit to the Caucasian country, as per the US embassy.
"U.S. Congressional Delegation led by Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi arrived in Yerevan for her first visit to Armenia. Welcome Madam Speaker!" the diplomatic mission said.
The embassy released photos of the senior Democrat getting out of a plane with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone and Representatives Anna Eshoo and Jackie Speier.
It is reported that Pelosi will meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan, and other senior officials to discuss bilateral relations as well as the region's current security situation, which has seen a spike in violence this week.
This comes just a few days after a ceasefire was reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani Haqqn news portal, which cited sources, revealed that Yerevan and Baku agreed to a truce at 05:00 GMT.
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a 22-day war over the mountainous region in the fall of 2020. It ended in a Russia-brokered peace deal that saw the Armenian-dominated self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh cede parts of Nagorno-Karabakh under its control to Azerbaijan.
The two countries agreed to a complete ceasefire and exchange of prisoners, while Russia deployed peacekeepers to the region.
However, clashes erupt every now and then between both sides despite the Russian-backed ceasefire agreement. Last month, tensions erupted over Nagorno-Karabakh as three soldiers were killed and Azerbaijan said it had taken control of several strategic heights in the disputed region.
The US will seek an immediate end to fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed in calls with leaders of the two countries amid renewed shelling on the border.
According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, it would be a "good thing" if Russia could utilize its clout in the area to end hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In the same context, Iran has expressed its readiness to help settle the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is calling for restraint and resolution of disagreements through peaceful means and based on international law, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.
