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.