US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has hosted a high-level meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, in a bid to elevate Washington’s role as a mediator in the South Caucasus.
Monday's meeting in Washington was the second involving the two countries to be chaired by Mr Blinken in less than five weeks.
Mr Blinken reiterated the Biden administration's commitment to peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“Direct dialogue is the best way to a truly durable peace, and we are very pleased to support that,” he said.
Mr Blinken said the 30-year conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has had taken a tremendous toll and left "scars that are deep".
But following a truce that Washington brokered last September, Mr Blinken said: “What we are seeing now are real steps, and courageous steps, by both countries to put the past behind and to work toward a durable peace.”
Mr Blinken said the US strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial independence of both Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Before the meeting, Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of breaking a fragile truce in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The conflict over the landlocked region dates back to 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when Armenian separatists seized the area in a move supported by Yerevan.
An ensuing war killed nearly 30,000 people and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.
Despite a ceasefire mediated in 1994 by Russia, the US and France, peace negotiations struggle to move forward and fighting erupts frequently.
Ryan Bohl, an analyst at the risk intelligence company Rane, said Mr Blinken’s increased focus on the Armenia-Azerbaijan file is also meant to undercut Russia, which now finds itself preoccupied with the Ukrainian war.
“Beyond the typical Biden agenda of stability and human rights, the meeting in Washington is a clear shot at Russian influence in the region,” Mr Bohl told The National.
“It's clear that the Russians, so tied up in Ukraine, can no longer police their own backyard."
He said this creates “an opportunity for the United States to take steps into the region as a means to both reduce Moscow's influence of post-Soviet space and to bolster Washington's reputation as a peace broker”.
But he argued that Washington will lean on soft power and defence sales along with other leverage rather than sending peacekeepers.
Russia, which maintains close ties with Armenia, was seen before the war in Ukraine as the major power broker in the region. It leads the Collective Security Treaty Organisation military alliance of ex-Soviet countries, which includes Armenia.
Yerevan relies on Russian support and military guarantees because its defence budget is overshadowed by Azerbaijan's spending on arms.
Azerbaijan has recently begun leveraging oil revenue as part of an attempt to overhaul its image in the West.
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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