Normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations should not be bound to other problems, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs said.

As Philip Gordon said on the sidelines of GLOBSEC 2011 regional security conference in Bratislava, his country doesn’t share Ankara’s opinion that reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia can take place only in case progress is fixed in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement talks.

“The U.S. believes that the sides should continue with ratification of the protocols,” he said, voicing regret that the normalization process has been suspended.