By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Ambassador Lee Litzenberger has said that the U.S. welcomes the decision to establish a direct communication line between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Trend reported on November 22.

He made the remarks in an interview with journalists in Baku.

"We welcome this step. We also believe that the parties should demonstrate their readiness to use this mechanism and benefit from it,” he said.

The ambassador also commented on the upcoming meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders in Brussels.

“I was also very pleased to hear the news about the decision to hold a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Brussels. The U.S. also worked hard on this. This meeting will ensure trust between the parties," Litzenberger added.

Lasting South Caucasus peace

The ambassador stressed that the U.S. is committed to ensuring lasting peace in the South Caucasus.

He recalled that next year, the U.S. and Azerbaijan will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

"We have achieved a lot in 30 years. In particular, we have successfully cooperated on the NATO security mission. We are grateful to Azerbaijan for participating in this initiative," he said.

Participation in projects in Karabakh

Litzenberger emphasized that three U.S. companies are involved in the implementation of projects in Karabakh.

"I believe that there are great opportunities for the participation of U.S. companies in the implementation of projects in Karabakh. U.S. companies have the best technologies and solutions. They can provide the most modern technologies and best practices," he said.

Europe’s energy security

He emphasized that the U.S. also supports Azerbaijan’s efforts to ensure energy security in Europe.

Answering a question about the possibility of expanding the Southern Gas Corridor, the ambassador said that it depends on commercial decisions.

“Azerbaijan is doing everything possible to ensure energy security in Europe. We have provided political support for the Southern Gas Corridor," he said.

He stressed that the U.S. position on this issue will remain unchanged.

Cooperation amid COVID-19

The ambassador stated that the U.S. had provided $6 million in humanitarian aid to Azerbaijan to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

He added that the vaccination of the population is the only way to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.