"Almaty Is Important, Symbolic Venue:" U.S. 'Welcomes' Kazakhstan's Offer To Host Azerbaijan-Armenia Talks

The United States on Thursday welcomed the offer of Kazakhstan to host Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers tomorrow in Almaty to advance discussions on a peace agreement between the two countries, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"Almaty is an important, symbolic venue," a State Department Spokesperson said in response to TURAN's inquiry. "We welcome the offer of Kazakhstan to host the parties."

Foreign Ministers, Jeyhun Bayramov and Ararat Mirzoyan, are expected to meet on Friday, for the first time since Berlin talks in late February.

A State Department Spokesperson went on to conclude, "As we have reiterated, we are encouraged by the progress that has been made so far between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including in bilateral engagements, and support the two countries coming to a peace agreement as soon as possible for the benefit of the wider region."

Both Baku and Yerevan have pledged to work toward signing a peace treaty, and the State Department last month welcomed the announcement that both sides hac agreed upon the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration as the basis for border delimitation between the two countries.

"This is an important step towards concluding a durable and dignified peace agreement," Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters back on April 25.