Washington, 5 May 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Washington on Thursday said that Azerbaijan and Armenia are getting closer to a resolution to their conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The two former Soviet republics have been fighting for decades over control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region in Azerbaijan inhabited by a majority of Armenians.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the two sides "made significant progress in addressing difficult issues" during peace negotiations this week with Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenia Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Arlington, Virginia.

"Both demonstrated a sincere commitment to normalizing relations and ending the long-standing conflict between their two countries," Blinken said in a statement.

Blinken went on to say that the two countries "agreed in principle to certain terms and have a better understanding of one another's positions on outstanding issues."

Blinken recommended the two diplomats return to their capitals to convey that an "agreement is within reach."

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia flared up again last year, barely two years after the two countries ended their war over the region. More than 6,500 people were killed in the fighting in 2020, according to estimates. A ceasefire was then negotiated in November 2020 with the mediation of Russia.

Conflict has erupted repeatedly despite a ceasefire. Azerbaijan has for months blocked the Lachin Corridor which provides Armenia's sole access to Nagorno-Karabakh.

Photo: MIA archive