Yerevan /Mediamax/. Ambassador Philip Reeker has retired from his role as the senior advisor for Caucasus negotiations.

This was stated by the Spokesperson of the U.S. Department of State Ned Price during the briefing. Price noted that since the beginning of Reeker’s appointment in August of last year, it was expected that he would serve in this position on a short-term basis until the end of last year.

“Ambassador Reeker’s work as the senior advisor for Caucasus negotiations accelerated engagement and helped build a structured process to bring peace to a troubled region. His contribution reaffirms the importance the United States places in helping Armenia and Azerbaijan negotiate a bilateral sustainable peace,” Price noted.

He stressed that Ambassador Reeker’s departure in no way undermines the United States’ commitment to promoting a peaceful future for the South Caucasus region.

“The United States continues to engage bilaterally with likeminded partners, like the European Union, and through international organizations, like the OSCE, to facilitate direct dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia and to find solutions to all outstanding issues related to or resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Price stated.

The State Department spokesperson though did not specify whether the post of senior adviser for Caucasus negotiations would be maintained or not.

“As you know, Secretary Blinken is personally invested in this process. I expect he’ll have an opportunity in the coming days to re-engage by phone with his counterparts in Armenia and Azerbaijan. Karen Donfried, our assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, also plays a leading role in these efforts. But it is something that we will remain committed to going forward,” Price noted.