Armenian Foreign Minister: "Nagorno Karabakh conflict can be settled only peacefully in the Minsk Group framework"

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan announced that his country attaches special importance to deepening ties with the United States.

"Armenia attaches special importance to deepening relations with the United States and it will be consistent in the development and strengthening of friendly partnership and consolidation of cooperation", said Edward Nalbandyan during the meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington.

According to the press service for the Armenian Foreign Ministry, the officials of Armenia and the United States noted that history and traditions of the Armenian-American relations, existing contract-legislative basis, political will, aimed at expansion of cooperation, help develop bilateral relations in various spheres.

Nalbandyan highly assessed the US government's programs, aimed at development of various spheres of Armenian economy and assistance of the United State to Armenia, which has made up $1.9 bln since the moment of country's gaining independence.

The sides also discussed the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. "It was noted that the problem can be settled only peacefully in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The sides highly evaluated the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, stressed the need to continue talks on the basis of Madrid proposals of 2007, which help fix progress in the peaceful process, said the press service for the Foreign Ministry.

As for the prospects of Armenian-Turkish relations, Nalbandyan stressed Armenia's readiness to establish diplomatic relations without any preconditions and open the Armenian-Turkish border and informed of Armenia's steps in this direction.

/Novosti-Armenia/