The United States maintains direct contacts between Azerbaijan and Armenia aimed at normalizing relations between the countries, U.S. Ambassador to Baku Lee Litzenberger said, Interfax reports.

Litzenberger commented on the upcoming meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the Eastern Partnership summit on December 15 in Brussels, adding that he hopes the meeting will be a step forward in establishing normal relations between the countries.

The Ambassador noted that the United States is committed to lasting peace in the region.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry earlier neither confirmed nor denied reports about an alleged November 26 meeting between Pashinyan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Aliyev.