WASHINGTON

The US said Tuesday it is "encouraged by recent efforts of Armenia and Azerbaijan to engage productively on the peace process" as Washington hosts the two foreign ministers for talks this week.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Jeyhun Bayramov and Ararat Mirzoyan at the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center, where he met them separately and held a trilateral meeting, according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

Blinken "emphasized in each meeting that direct dialogue is the key to resolving issues, and reaching a durable and dignified peace," according to Miller.

"We will continue to assist them anyway," he said, adding that talks will continue through Thursday.

Blinken wrote on Twitter that the US will "support Armenia and Azerbaijan working together toward a durable and dignified agreement."

"Dialogue is key to lasting peace," he said.

Bayramov and Mirzoyan participated last month in five-day peace talks at the George P. Shultz National Affairs Foreign Affairs Training Center in the US state of Virginia, after which Blinken praised the "tangible progress" made.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Most of the territory was liberated by Baku during a war in the fall of 2020 which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement and opened the door to normalization.

But the establishment of a checkpoint on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the South Caucasus region last month sparked tensions.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said the checkpoint was created in response to security threats from Armenia, citing the transfer of weapons and ammunition to the Karabakh region. Yerevan denied the charges.

Washington said previously that it was "deeply concerned" by Azerbaijan establishing a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor.