Interfax, Russia
Feb 4 2010

High-ranking U.S. diplomats to meet with Armenian president

YEREVAN Feb 4

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and Assistant Secretary
Philip Gordon are expected to arrive in Armenia on Thursday, the U.S.
embassy in Armenia told Interfax.

Steinberg and Gordon are expected to meet with Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, the embassy
said.

>From Armenia the high-ranking U.S. diplomats will travel to Georgia.

Media reports on Wednesday quoted U.S. National Intelligence Director
Admiral Denis Blair as saying that a war could break out between
Armenia and Azerbaijan in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

Despite progress seen last year in rapprochement between Armenia and
Turkey, this process had an impact on fragile relations between
Armenia and Azerbaijan and increased the risk of a renewed conflict
around Nagorno-Karabakh, Blair was quoted as saying.