United States appoints Louis Bono as senior adviser on negotiation processes in the Caucasus region

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken issued a special statement on Wednesday appointing diplomat Louis Bono as senior adviser for the Caucasus negotiations. His responsibilities will include advancing the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and countering Russia’s ongoing occupation of twenty percent of the sovereign territory of Georgia. The State Department notes that Louis Bono has extensive experience leading such negotiations. He was the United States representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations office in Vienna; Charge d’Affaires at the Vatican; Director of European Affairs, European Economy and Southern European Affairs at the National Security Council. Blinken’s statement noted that the United States is “committed to helping Armenia and Azerbaijan reach a comprehensive peace agreement, including a long-term political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”
Louis Bono’s tasks will include “promoting direct dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan.” The State Department also notes that the new diplomatic appointment “affirms the importance the United States attaches to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, as well as the role of the Geneva International Discussions on Georgia, the only international format devoted to Russia’s continued occupation of Russia. 20% of Georgian territory.”