'Peace Is Possible', State Department Says, As Foreign Ministers Enter Second Day Of Talks

Washington D.C./02.05.23/Turan:  The State Department on Monday struck a positive tone over the ongoing negotiations between the top diplomats of Azerbaijan and Armenia as they wrapped up the first day of their long negotiations in the U.S. capital, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"Peace is possible... We think that direct dialogue through diplomacy is key here," Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told a daily press briefing Monday afternoon.

As TURAN reporters earlier, the expected four days of talks are being held at the State Department's Foreign Affairs training center, right outside Washington.

Asked by TURAN's correspondent about the importance of the venue, Patel said, it was chosen to reflect "our commitment to updated, modernized diplomacy that’s rooted in the 21st century."

"It’s a newly completed campus, newly constructed," he explained.

As for the peace talks, the deputy spokesperson said that the U.S. is "pleased" to be hosting ministers Bayramov and Mirzoyan to facilitate negotiations this week, "as they work together to pursue a peaceful future for the South Caucasus region.

"Secretary Blinken was honored to welcome the foreign ministers at a dinner yesterday and attend the opening plenary session this morning," he added.

When asked by Turan how Washington envisioned successful outcome, Patel said, "the way for it to be prescriptive is up for these two countries to decide." 

"Ultimately, what we believe is that peace is possible in the South Caucasus... That’s what we’re looking for, peace and stability between these two countries in the Nagorno-Karabakh region," he concluded.

Alex Raufoglu