Nagorno-Karabakh conflict itself is of importance, irrespective of any other issue, Philip Gordon, assistant secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian affairs, told a press briefing at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington DC.

He said that U.S. is actively engaged in both the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and the OSCE Minsk Group, he said. Mr. Gordon’s comment implies that the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process has nothing in common with the other processes in the region in the context of Turkish Premier Recep Erdogan’s opposite statements made in Washington.

According to Mr. Gordon, this issue is important not because “we see it as a link to Turkey-Armenia relationship,” but because it could also be a contribution to peace and stability in the region that both Azerbaijan and Armenia would benefit from. “It is something we care about and would like to see succeed,” Gordon said.

He stressed that the U.S. supports the Turkey-Armenia normalization process as well. “The protocols — we would like to see them ratified. We think this would benefit Turkey and Armenia and help develop peace and stability in the region,” he said.

If both of these processes — Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and Turkey-Armenia normalization — succeed, it would be a historic development for the region, Gordon said.

T.P.