Washington is in favor of direct negotiations

Louis Bono, the US State Department's chief adviser on Caucasus negotiations, has concluded his visit to the region. He met with President Ilham Aliyev in Baku and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan and exchanged views. After finishing the meetings, Bono expressed the opinion that "we want Azerbaijan and Armenia to prepare the text of the peace treaty themselves." Bono believes that a positive result will be achieved as a result of direct dialogue: "Because any long-term, sustainable and balanced peace is possible only with the efforts of both sides."

Washington, in the language of Bono, proposed to expand the dialogue between Baku and Yerevan without intermediaries. There are currently 3 mediators. This is Moscow, Brussels and Washington. Negotiations have been going on for two years in different formats, but there is no result. Recent history shows that direct negotiations have not resulted in short-term and long-term solutions to various conflicts. Mostly impartial mediators play an important role in conflict resolution. For example, the tension between Serbia and Kosovo has been going on for years. Direct contacts were unsuccessful. Between these two, there are two main mediators - Washington and Brussels. Currently, both Kosovo and Serbia are on the verge of agreeing to the EU settlement plan. If there is peace, both of them will become members of the European Union.

Nevertheless, the American diplomat does not see any harm in direct dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Both sides can form a permanent working group and that group can discuss various issues on a permanent basis in Tbilisi. This can have a positive effect on the overall result.