Direct dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan is the key to resolving issues and reaching a lasting peace, said a representative of the US State Department.

Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the Bureau of Global Public Affairs at the US Department of State, recalled— during Wednesday’s State Department press briefing—that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had emphasized that the US is committed to peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“And we have encouraged both leaders to meet in whatever format is most useful to them. Our viewpoint is that direct dialogue is key to resolving these issues and reaching a lasting peace. There is no greater supporter than the US for the sovereignty and independence of the three countries in the South Caucasus, and the restoration of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia’s independence in 1991 when the Soviet Union was a seminal event that guaranteed each of these countries the right to pursue their own foreign policy interests and sovereignty,” Patel added.