Mark Toner Says Armenian-Turkish and NK Issues Not Mutually Exclusive

YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS: “The US 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,” Mark Toner, acting deputy spokesman for US Department of State, said at the July 6 press conference at the Department of State.

As to the assistance to the regulation of the NK conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, Mark Toner mentioned that it is obvious they are difficult issues and require a great deal of time. “But our Ambassador Robert Bradtke is hard at work on these issues and that is just reinforced by the Secretary’s visit to the region,” Mark Toner stated. He also said he considers the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the Eastern European and South Caucasian states successful. Hillary Clinton was on a visit to Armenian July 4-5.