U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday spoke with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev about "positive steps" Azerbaijan and Armenia are taking toward a peace agreement, including Azerbaijan's release of 17 prisoners of war to Armenia, the State Department said in a statement.
Blinken cited recent direct talks between the two countries' leaders and foreign ministers and welcomed the release on Tuesday of the POWs. He urged President Ilham Aliyev to continue "time-bound and measurable steps to support the peace process."
Blinken reiterated U.S. support for clear border delimitation, transportation linkages, recovery and identification of missing persons, return of detainees and other issues.
"He underscored the importance of discussions about the rights and securities for the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh and the need for both sides to maintain the cease-fire and focus on a negotiated agreement as the only path to a lasting peace," the statement said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan on Friday agreed to a civilian European Union mission alongside the countries' border, where the worst fighting between the two ex-Soviet states since 2020 killed more than 200 people late last month.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Mark Porter)
