By Reuters Staff

       1 Min Read

       FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks about infrastructure investment at the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering in College Park, MD, U.S., August 9, 2021. Patrick Semansky/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

       WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States would delay sanctions over the Ethiopia conflict if the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation front “cease ongoing hostilities and enter into ceasefire negotiations immediately and without preconditions,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday.

       “If the parties take immediate steps in this regard, the United States is prepared to delay imposition of sanctions and focus on supporting a negotiated process,” Blinken said in a statement.

       Reporting by Susan Heavey

       Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.