US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken confirmed in talks with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan the US support for a peace treaty between the neighboring countries in the South Caucasus, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA, referring to an official statement of the US State Department from today.
The agency recalls that in September of last year the forces of Azerbaijan established full control over the separatist region of Karabakh populated by Armenians after a lightning military operation.
Reuters points out that peace talks between the two countries have been hampered by disputes over exactly where to cross their 1,000-kilometer shared border, which remains closed with significant military forces stationed there.
According to the State Department, Blinken spoke today by phone with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and urged him "together with his Armenian counterpart to maintain the momentum", and "reaffirmed the desire of the United States to support their efforts.
/p>
In a separate conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Blinken reassured him of American support for a sustainable and mutually respectful peace agreement, the State Department said, without specifying when the conversation took place.