The statement is posted on the official website of the US State Department, APA reports.

"We’ve previously advocated through Ambassador Warlick and others the release of these two prisoners to the Government of Azerbaijan. We also urged relevant authorities to return the two prisoners to the Government of Azerbaijan. The sides have generally found a way in the past to return prisoners as a humanitarian gesture, and such humanitarian gestures have been shown to reduce tensions and build trust between the sides,” said State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki, at a daily press briefing.

Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the United States Department of State Victoria Nuland, being on a visit in Azerbaijan and Armenia, called Armenian side to release Azerbaijani hostages Dilgam Askarov and Shahbaz Guliyev.