"It is quite challenging to achieve any peace agreement," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien said in a briefing he held for the journalists, APA reports.
"The legacy of war is incredibly divisive, and I would say that building trust between parties is a fundamental issue at a certain level. In my opinion, current administrations have been able to establish good communication and strong working relationships."
James O'Brien noted that the recent border settlement, with both sides confirming the basis of demarcation, was a significant step forward.
"As I have already mentioned, Armenia has taken the step of returning four villages in the territory of Azerbaijan, which shows that it is ready to take bold steps. Even at the cost of some political repercussions domestically, these actions have built confidence and are necessary to take. I know that the societies of Armenia and Azerbaijan are mature, both societies have very clearly expressed their decision regarding the big state from the north not to comment on their normalization process. Decide on peace yourselves, but if this continues for long, it gives Russia an opportunity to try to create trouble in the region. Therefore, I would say that creating trust now and moving forward swiftly is important. Move quickly, but don't rush; be careful," he said.
