Blinken says hard work remains to reach peace deal as Armenia-Azerbaijan talks end

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks at the release of the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 15, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said hard work remains to reach a final agreement to end the conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, as talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan's foreign ministers hosted by Washington ended on Thursday.

Blinken, who posed for a photograph with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov at the conclusion of talks mediated by U.S. officials for three days, told reporters that some of the most difficult issues remained unresolved, without detailing what those were.