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Armenia and Azerbaijan made significant progress in addressing difficult issues at U.S.-hosted marathon talks last week, U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Monday.

“Our view is that last week’s discussions were constructive, and we believe that the delegations from Armenia and Azerbaijan made significant progress in addressing difficult issues,” he told a press briefing, referring to conflicting comments from both sides.

“Both countries, as you know, agreed in principle to certain terms and have a better understanding of each other’s points of views. And we believe that with additional goodwill and flexibility and compromise, that an agreement is within reach, and we continue to provide full support and engagement from the United States as the two countries continue to engage in dialogue and continue to secure a durable and sustainable peace,” the spokesman said.

Asked if there are further steps that Armenia and Azerbaijan should take or should refrain from taking to maintain the momentum, Patel said: “I’m not going to get into the specifics in the discussions, but as I’m sure you’re aware, there’s reporting out there that the parties have continued their talks, and we welcome those reports that those parties are continuing to engage in these discussions. And we reiterate our conviction that peace is within reach and that direct dialogue is key to resolving issues and reaching a lasting peace.”