Top Azerbaijani, Armenian diplomats discuss peace treaty in Washington DC

The Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers met in the U.S. capital Washington D.C. under the auspices of their U.S. counterpart on a possible peace treaty, amid increasing political discussions between the two countries, an official statement said on Tuesday.

"The ministers shared views on the elements of a possible peace treaty and acknowledged that there are a range of issues that still need to be addressed. Both sides reiterated the commitments undertaken by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in their meetings on Oct. 6 in Prague, and Oct. 31 in Sochi," read the statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan "agreed to expedite their negotiations and to organize another meeting in coming weeks," adding their appreciation for the U.S. in hosting the meeting, the statement said.

It added that the ministers also had a joint meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Meanwhile, Blinken separately expressed his support for "the independence and territorial integrity" of both countries ahead of the meeting that took place on Monday.

"The United States is committed to the peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Direct dialogue is the best way to a truly durable peace, and we are very pleased to support that," a statement by the Department of State noted.

"As a friend to both Armenia and Azerbaijan, the United States is committed to doing everything that we can to support you in this effort; to walk the path to a durable peace with you, to help in any way that we can," it added.

Leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia agreed to reaffirm their commitment to a comprehensive normalization of Baku-Yerevan relations, and to ensure peace, stability, security, and sustainable economic development of the South Caucasus after the Oct. 31 trilateral talks in Sochi.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

In fall 2020, in 44 days of clashes, Baku liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation, ending in a Moscow-brokered truce. The peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.