US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried participated in the US Congress hearings on the South Caucasus and answered the congress member's questions, the VOA Armenian Service reports.

Regarding Azerbaijan’s current closure of the Lachin Corridor linking Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) to Armenia, Donfried recalled that the US State Department on this occasion called on the government of Azerbaijan to restore free movement through the corridor, as blocking it could lead to serious humanitarian consequences and disruption of the peace process. According to her, one of the key challenges of the negotiation process is the lack of trust between the parties.

As per the US Assistant Secretary of State, today there is a unique opportunity to contribute to the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, so Washington is actively engaged in the negotiation process, closely cooperating with the European Union and other partners, and the rights and safety of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh should be key components of these discussions.

According to Donfried, the American side realizes that Russia has a role and influence in the region, but Washington wants to help the countries of the region to move forward in achieving peace. According to him, today Moscow is not the main mediator of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan because other actors and formats are also engaged in the process.

And reflecting on the dialogue between Armenia and Turkey, the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs welcomed the process aimed at the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and the steps taken by the parties in this regard, expressing hope that a new progress will be recorded here. According to the American diplomat, the improvement of Armenian-Turkish relations will positively affect the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process and economic development in the region.