"US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken hosted Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov for the first direct talks since recent fighting," said Ned Price, State Department spokesman, APA reports.
"Secretary Blinken emphasized the need to prevent further hostilities, underscoring the importance of returning to the peace process.
They discussed next steps, and the Secretary encouraged the sides to meet again before the end of the month," Price added.