Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson supports peaceful resolution of Karabakh conflict
President Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has expressed willingness to work with Armenia and Azerbaijan to find a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. "If confirmed, I will work with the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to find a peaceful, long-term solution that allows for stability and prosperity in the region. The first step in this process must be to build trust by ensuring that all agreements between the parties are respected." Senator Markey asked the Secretary of State nominee what steps he would take to ensure that Turkey ends its blockade of Armenia. Tillerson responded: "I will support the normalized diplomatic, economic, and civil society relations, between Armenia and Turkey in my ongoing discussions with the two parties. U.S. leadership and re-engagement in the region at large will help build the necessary trust to improve relations between Armenia and Turkey." He also added that he will "ensure protection of religious minorities and their property rights, including the Armenian community in Turkey." Tillerson assured that he is committed to fostering the relationship between the U.S. and Armenia, including economic opportunities.
