U.S. President Joe Biden has sent a letter to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, urging him to finalize a peace agreement with Azerbaijan by the end of the year.

“I am pleased to see that your nation and Azerbaijan have made steady progress towards finalizing a peace agreement that would normalize relations between your two countries. I want to assure you that the United States stands ready to support a durable and dignified peace agreement that would finally put to rest centuries of conflict,” Biden said in his letter, shared by Pashinyan’s office.

“A peace agreement that safeguards Armenia's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity would not only provide security and stability for the Armenian people. It would transform the entire South Caucasus region. As you know, finalizing the remaining articles of the peace agreement will require persistence, ingenuity, and compromise. But putting patriotism above politics, you have courageously and consistently chosen the path of peace - and I encourage you to finalize an agreement this year.

“As you do, my administration is prepared to take bold initiatives that would help pave the way for peace. I have asked my Senior Director for Europe, Michael Carpenter to brief you on some of the steps we would be willing to take and get your feedback on discussions with Azerbaijan.”

Biden said a brighter future is within reach, and “I look forward to working with you to seize it."