Azerbaijan has rejected remarks made by U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller yesterday that it is preventing the shipment of food, medicine, and other essential items from entering Nagorno Karabakh.

Miller, in a press briefing, said the U.S. “is deeply concerned about deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the continued blockage of food, medicine, and other goods essential to a dignified existence.”

Miller said basic humanitarian assistance should never be held hostage to political disagreements.

Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry responded that such allegations of a blockade are unacceptable.

“First of all, against the backdrop of the proposals put forward by Azerbaijan to meet the needs of Armenian residents, including the proposal of intensification of usage of the Lachin road in parallel with the use of the Aghdam-Khankendi road, as well as passage of dozens of Armenian residents in both directions daily, allegations of “blockade” in the region are unacceptable,” the Azerbaijani statement reads.

Baku accused Armenians of blocking trucks carrying Azerbaijani aid from entering Karabakh.

“Azerbaijan’s repeated invitations to Armenian residents to hold talks on the issues of reintegration of Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, the delivery of humanitarian cargo to the Karabakh region by various routes, the organization of meetings between the special representative of Azerbaijan and representatives of local Armenian residents, as well as backstepping of Armenia from the agreements on organization of the meetings in this direction through its illegally installed puppet regime are well-known to the U.S.,” the Azerbaijani foreign ministry writes.