An Azerbaijani civilian lost his life when a mine laid by Armenian forces during the occupation period of the Karabakh region exploded, authorities said on Monday.

According to the Azerbaijan Prosecutor's Office, Ogtay Alishov, 59, lost his life in Jojug Marjanly village of Jabrayil district when an anti-tank mine planted by Armenian forces went off.

An investigation was launched into the incident.

The last incident raised the number of people who lost their lives due to the explosion of mines laid by Armenian forces after the Second Karabakh War to 55.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in October that clearing mines planted by Armenia on occupied Azerbaijani territories will take nearly 30 years and cost $25 billion.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military illegally occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian Army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces, violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and around 300 settlements and villages occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.

The fighting ended with a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, which was seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.

However, the cease-fire has been broken several times since then.

Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks

Meanwhile, the United States hosted negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Monday, seeking to quell recent tension over Karabakh.

Tensions have spiked again this week after Azerbaijan announced it had set up a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor, the only land link between Armenia and Karabakh, sparking an angry response from Yerevan.

Armenia views the move as violating the cease-fire negotiated between the two sides.

On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a dinner with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoya and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

On Monday, the U.S. diplomat kicked off the expected four days of talks between the two sides at a State Department facility outside Washington.

"The U.S. is pleased to host Foreign Minister Mirzoya of Armenia and Foreign Minister Bayramov of Azerbaijan to facilitate negotiations this week as they work together to pursue a peaceful future for the South Caucasus region," said State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel.

"The secretary believes that direct dialogue is key to resolving issues and reaching a lasting peace," Patel added.

Blinken also spoke Sunday with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, expressing concerns about the checkpoint, which he said "undermines efforts to establish confidence in the peace process," according to a State Department statement on their call.

"We have not parsed our words about the need for the free flow of traffic and people and commerce through the Lachin corridor," said Patel.

Normalizing relations

Speaking on the grounds of anonymity Monday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted a U.S. official as saying the talks aim more at "an agreement on normalization of relations" rather than a peace treaty.

"Our goal is to make sure the ministers can sit down and talk to each other," the official said.

The official said the U.S. expects the two sides to have a forthright and frank discussion, adding, "All the issues are being discussed."

With Russia bogged down in Ukraine and unwilling to strain ties with Azerbaijan's key ally Türkiye, the U.S. and EU have sought to steer a thaw in relations.

France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna visited the two countries last week over the border checkpoint, with the purpose "to reaffirm France's support for the Armenian government and people," Colonna said.

She visited Baku and then Yerevan, urging Azerbaijan to restore "unhindered movement" through the Lachin corridor. In Yerevan, she said in a news conference that Armenia's territorial integrity must be respected.

But Azerbaijan reiterated that it had set up the checkpoint on Azerbaijan's territory.

Despite championing Armenian claims, Colonna said it was important for Armenia and Azerbaijan to resume negotiations to secure a resolution to their decadeslong standoff. "We encourage you to take this path resolutely," Colonna said, adding this was "the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace."

Blinken has already taken part in two trilateral meetings with the two Caucasus rivals, in November last year and then again in February, on the margins of the international security conference in Munich, Germany.

On Saturday, Blinken spoke with Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, emphasizing the importance of peace discussions and pledging continued U.S. support.