Blinken speaks in favor of concluding Azerbaijan-Armenia peace treaty - U.S. State Dept

WASHINGTON/YEREVAN. Nov 28 (Interfax) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in a phone call that he supports Baku's commitment to conclude a peace treaty with Armenia, the Department of State said.

"The secretary welcomed President Aliyev's commitment to conclude a durable and dignified peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia," it said in a statement.

During the phone conversation with Aliyev, Blinken discussed "our enduring relations with Azerbaijan" and "spoke about opportunities to strengthen cooperation, especially around the peace process, and the importance of high-level engagement," the Department of State said.

Blinken also held a phone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during which "they discussed U.S. support for efforts to reach a durable and dignified peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan," it said.

The secretary of state "reaffirmed the United States' ongoing support for Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and outlined efforts to increase bilateral cooperation with Armenia as we work to support its vision for a prosperous and democratic future," it said.

Pashinyan and Blinken discussed regional and bilateral issues, the Armenian government's press service said on Tuesday.

"In particular, they touched upon the process of normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The also discussed the humanitarian problems facing more than 100,000 people forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and the steps being taken by the Armenian government to resolve these problems. The importance of assistance from the international community was emphasized," it said.