US policy over Karabakh and Armenia-Turkey rapprochement hasn’t changed

The US has not changed it towards the Armenia –Turkey normalization, as well as the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, US State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said in a briefing.

“Well, I think we’ve always – I mean, certainly our policy hasn’t shifted. We support rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia. We also obviously support a settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh. The two obviously aren’t mutually exclusive, but are mutually supportive,” said Toner.

Asked about the alleged impression in Azerbaijan as if US hasn’t really done as much as it could in that area and whether or not will the State Department now be taking any new actions, putting it on the front burner, Toner said that it was not the case.

“I don’t accept it. I think we’ve continued to meet through the Minsk process and – or the Minsk Group, rather, continually to work on these issues. Obviously, they’re difficult issues and that requires a great deal of time. But our Ambassador Robert Bradtke is hard at work on these issues and that’s just reinforced by the Secretary’s visit to the region.”