U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried, at a Washington Foreign Press Center Briefing yesterday, said Armenia and Azerbaijan have the opportunity to move forward in the process of normalizing relations. (See video, minute 58).

Donfried said she had met with visiting Azerbaijani Presidential Foreign Policy Advisor Hikmet Hajiev earlier in the week. The official said Russia's war in Ukraine has regional implications, including the South Caucasus.

"I think there is real hope now for Azerbaijan and Armenia to move forward to normalize relations and to reach a peace settlement,” Donfried said.

She said the United States sees that the two countries have taken important steps and that Washington fully encourages this.