Washington: On Oct 10, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev about “positive steps” Azerbaijan and Armenia were taking toward a peace agreement. The talks also included Azerbaijan’s release of 17 prisoners of war to Armenia, the State Department said in a statement. “He underscored the importance of discussions about the rights and securities for the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh and the need for both sides to maintain the cease-fire and focus on a negotiated agreement as the only path to a lasting peace,” the statement said.
