US CONTINUES PROMOTING ARMENIA-TURKEY RAPPROCHEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.02.2010 21:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ US continues promoting normalization of
Armenia-Turkey ties, United States Deputy Secretary of State, James
Steinberg said.

As he stated at the meeting with RA President Serzh Sargsyan, US
highly appreciates Armenia’s efforts towards settlement of regional
issues. "Normalization of Armenia-Turkey ties is very important
to US, and we are ready to continue promoting the rapprochement
process," James Steinberg said, adding that Armenian Constitutional
Court’s ruling on RA-Turkey Protocols is a positive step forward in
reconciliation process.

Armenian President, in turn, highly assessed well-balanced regional
policy of US.

"Over the past years, US became our 5th trade and 3rd export partner,
which is very important to Armenia. We implemented a number of
legislative reforms to strengthen bilateral relations," Serzh
Sargsyan said.

James Steinberg expressed readiness to collaborate with Armenia both
on bilateral and regional issues.

This has been James Steinberg’s second visit to RA in the capacity of
Deputy Secretary of State. Assistant Secretary of State for European
and Eurasian Affairs, Philip Gordon joined James Steinberg in his
visit.

The meeting was also attended by US Ambassador to Armenia Marie L.

Yovanovitch, presidential press service reported.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet
Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks
held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.