U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has summed up the year’s results, touching on Armenia–Azerbaijan relations and the peace declaration signed in Washington. In a video address, Rubio said the United States had managed to prevent and resolve several international conflicts, emphasizing the importance of diplomatic engagement.

“Azerbaijan and Armenia. A war that could have begun and turned into a terrible catastrophe was prevented,” the U.S. secretary of state said, referring to the peace declaration signed on August 8 in Washington in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump, Armenpress reports.

Rubio also stressed that key security commitments made by the U.S. president have already been implemented, adding: “The best is yet to come.”

On August 8, a joint Declaration on the outcomes of the Washington meeting was signed at the White House during a trilateral meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov initialed the agreement “On the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan” in the presence of the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the United States.