Joe Biden sends letter to Ilham Aliyev

The United States stands ready to support a durable and dignified peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, U.S. President Joe Biden said in a letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

"I am pleased to see that your nation and Armenia have made steady progress toward finalizing a peace agreement that would normalize relations between your two countries," the U.S. president said.

Biden stressed that a peace agreement would not only ensure Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, it would transform the entire region, paving the way for increased trade, investment and connectivity between Europe and Central Asia.

"As the world's attention turns to Baku for COP29, you have a unique opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to peace in front of a global audience. As you know, finalizing the remaining articles of the peace agreement will require creativity and compromise on all sides. But I am confident that you will continue to meet this moment, and I encourage you to finalize an agreement this year," the U.S. president said.

He added that Washington is prepared to take bold initiatives that would help pave the way for peace.

"I have asked my Senior Director for Europe, Michael Carpenter, to brief you on some of the steps we would be willing to take and also to get your feedback on discussions with Armenia," Joe Biden said.

The U.S. president expressed hope Azerbaijan will take advantage of this opportunity to set a new course for the region, one based on shared prosperity and the pursuit of common good.