ISTANBUL

The US on Wednesday welcomed the current initiatives by Turkey and Armenia to start discussing steps to normalize relations.

“We welcome and strongly support statements by Turkish Foreign Minister @MevlutCavusoglu and @MFAofArmenia on appointing Special Envoys to discuss the process of normalization,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Monday Ankara and Yerevan will appoint special envoys soon to discuss steps to normalize relations.

Later, Vahan Hunanyan, a spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Ministry, welcomed the Turkish foreign minister’s announcement, according to Public Radio of Armenia.

“In this regard, we positively assess the statement of the Turkish foreign minister on the appointment of a special representative for the normalization of relations, and confirm that the Armenian side will appoint a special representative for this dialogue,” the broadcaster reported, citing Hunanyan.