WASHINGTON, Aug 4: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday to commend the Turkish diplomatic efforts that led to the first shipment of Ukrainian grain leaving the Black Sea since the start of "Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine" in late February. "He emphasized the importance of working together to see to it that additional ships are able to depart and underscored the importance of holding Moscow accountable for the commitments it made," US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said.

"The Secretary also raised the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, noting that the United States is ready to engage bilaterally, with likeminded partners, and through our role as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair to facilitate dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia and help achieve a long-term political settlement to the conflict. "Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Cavusoglu discussed ways to advance coordination and NATO unity regarding the threat of further Russian escalation and aggression against Ukraine," Price added.(KUNA)