US supports Armenian-Turkish relations - State Department

The United States firmly supports the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, which will positively affect the entire region, the State Department has said, according to the Voice of America Armenian. 

The remarks came in response to a question by the VOA Armenian about a first ever direct contact between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call on Monday.

The two sides after the call have emphasized the importance of the bilateral normalization in their statements carefully using the same wording. 

"Armenian-Turkish dialogue has the potential to increase regional stability, curb adverse impacts, and lead to greater economic development that is beneficial to all. It is especially important today in light of Russia's war in Ukraine." the US State Department's statement said.

Armenia and Turkey agreed to open their land borders for third-country citizens visiting both countries respectively, at the earliest date possible, in a meeting held between the two country’s representatives in Vienna on July 1.

The relations between Ankara and Yerevan have been frozen since early 1990’s, due to Armenia’s conflict with Azerbaijan regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh region, where the two countries were embroiled in six weeks of clashes in autumn 2020. Ankara sided with Baku in the conflict, and had kept its land border with Armenia closed since 1993.