U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that there remains a real risk of armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and that Washington is actively working to prevent such an outcome.

He made these remarks during a hearing organized by the House Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. Congress, Armenpress reports.

"Regarding Azerbaijan, our main focus is to ensure peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. There is a real risk of conflict there, which we are trying to prevent," Rubio said.

He further noted that Washington is not only striving to avert potential conflict but is also addressing the issue of prisoners and human rights in Azerbaijan.

"The reality is that we are compelled to engage with countries that are far from ideal in many cases. However, we must interact with them in pursuit of our national interests, and we must be able to balance these interests with our diplomatic efforts," emphasized the Secretary of State.

On March 13, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry announced that it had accepted Azerbaijan's proposals on two previously uncoordinated articles and that the peace agreement is ready for signing. It stated that Armenia is prepared to begin consultations on the timeline and location for the signing. However, Baku has introduced new preconditions and declared that it is too early to discuss dates for a meeting.