U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev today to underscore the importance of Azerbaijan-Armenia peace discussions and pledged continued U.S. support.

Blinken shared his belief that peace between the two countries is possible, this according to a statement released by his office.

“He also expressed the United States’ deep concern that Azerbaijan’s establishment of a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor undermines efforts to establish confidence in the peace process and emphasized the importance of reopening the Lachin corridor to commercial and private vehicles as soon as possible,” the statement reads.