Yerevan /Mediamax/. Dereck Hogan, Acting Assistant Secretary Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, said that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan will “push back against Russia’s influence.”

“We are actively supporting talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan as they work to achieve a sustainable and durable peace. An agreement would bolster democracy and regional economic integration and push back against Russia’s influence. Russia has used the conflict to maintain its leverage in the region at a significant human cost,” Hogan said during the hearings at the House Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. Congress.

During the question-and-answer, the diplomat said that during the talks held in Washington in early May, the most complicated issues were discussed with the participation of the American side, in particular, “the withdrawal of troops from the border line, the mechanisms for settling disputes in a peace agreement, the security and rights of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

“We have come up with a number of proposals that, perhaps, can provide the parties with certain formulations that will allow them to overcome differences,” Hogan added.

U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary said last week he spoke with the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan “to understand in which directions we can move forward.”

Speaking about the upcoming meeting of the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, France, Germany and the European Council scheduled for June 1 in Chisinau, Derek Hogan said that the focus will be on “what needs to be done to get the work done.”