Azerbaijan, Armenia close to deal on ending transport blockade - Russia

Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and members of the delegation attend a meeting with Russian and Armenian officials to defuse tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, in Moscow, Russia, May 19, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

(Reuters) - Armenia and Azerbaijan are close to agreeing an end to a blockade of transport links but more work is needed to seal a peace deal between the warring neighbours, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

Lavrov spoke after he brokered a meeting between the foreign ministers of both nations. Russia helped secure a truce to halt a six-week conflict in 2020, but the agreement has not led to lasting peace, and armed clashes are common along the border.