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The United States has “various concerns” over the worsening humanitarian situation in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price told a press briefing on Tuesday.

The spokesman stressed the need for direct dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve their issues and reach a lasting peace.

“Well, we don’t go into it with a conclusion. We go into it hoping to see direct dialogue – direct dialogue leading to a resolution of the issues that have long divided Armenia and Azerbaijan – and through that dialogue, hopefully reaching a lasting peace. We’re continuing to engage in direct discussions with Armenia and Azerbaijan. We’re doing that bilaterally; we’re doing that with partners; we’re doing that through multilateral institutions. We’ve had an occasion to do that trilaterally a couple times last year as well. We are going to do what is most effective to bring about a resolution to these very thorny issues,” Price said when asked what’s Secretary of State Blinken’s take on how he envisions the process moving forward and what his conclusion is.

He reiterated the U.S. call for the full restoration of free movement through the Lachin corridor, the sole road linking Artsakh to Armenia and the outside world.

“We have a good sense of the state of play. We have various concerns. Let me just state, on the topic of those concerns, our concerns regarding the Lachin corridor. We are concerned that the situation there is worsening; the worsening humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh has been a focus of not only the Secretary but others in this building. Ongoing obstruction of normal commercial and private travel along the Lachin corridor is causing shortages of food, fuel, and medicine for the residents who depend on the corridor for those very basic supplies. Periodic disruptions to natural gas and other basic utilities exacerbate the worsening humanitarian situation. We call for the full restoration of free movement through the corridor, including commercial and private travel. We believe we need a solution to this impasse that will ensure the safety and well-being of the population living in the area, and we believe the way forward is, as I said before, through negotiations. We remain committed to supporting a lasting peace,” Price said.