WASHINGTON 

The US on Thursday welcomed a recent move by Armenia and Azerbaijan to establish formal rules for border delimitation, saying it demonstrates the potential for lasting peace through sustained dialogue.

"The U.S. commends Armenia and Azerbaijan for formalizing the rules of procedure for border delimitation, demonstrating that progress is possible through sustained dialogue," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller wrote on X.

"We support both sides’ work towards a durable, dignified peace for security and prosperity in the region," he added.

The statement came after Azerbaijan and Armenia ratified last week their first-ever bilateral agreement on the statute on the joint activity of commissions for border delimitation.

The regulation was signed on Aug. 30 this year.

Tensions between Baku and Yerevan have persisted since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, along with seven adjacent regions.

Most of the territory was reclaimed by Azerbaijan during a 44-day war in the fall of 2020, which concluded with a Russian-brokered peace agreement that initiated the process of normalization and border demarcation talks.

In September 2023, Azerbaijan established full sovereignty over Karabakh following an "anti-terrorist operation," after which separatist forces in the region surrendered.