U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in a trilateral format on Tuesday, October 4, the Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

“Secretary Blinken expressed our appreciation for the positive steps Armenia and Azerbaijan are taking towards reaching a sustainable peace agreement,” the statement reads.

“In a week that has been marked by too much violence, including the deaths of Armenian soldiers and Azerbaijani civilians in landmine explosions, he welcomed the meeting between the ministers on October 2 as an important step forward in the peace process.”

Blinken also commended the release of POWs and reiterated the United States’ commitment to helping Armenia and Azerbaijan resolve issues peacefully and underscored that diplomacy is the only way forward.

It was reported earlier that Azerbaijan repatriated 17 Armenian PoWs with U.S. mediation.

The latest round of fighting between the two countries began in the wee hours of September 13, when the Azerbaijani military attacked Armenian posts and shelled Armenian settlements both on the border and deep behind the frontline. More than 200 people are dead or missing as a result, the Security Council of Armenia said on Monday.