Newly appointed NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai said that NATO hopes that the Armenian-Turkish normalization will be reenergized.

“We were pleased to see the signing of the bilateral protocols which offered a very clear prospect for improved bilateral relations to the benefit of the entire region. The stalling of the ratification process has been a setback, but we continue to hope that the process can be reenergized,” Appathurai said in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net.

Commenting on media reports suggesting that NATO dislikes Turkey’s closer relations with the Arab world, Appathurai said: “Not only are these rumors unfounded, their premise is wrong as well. NATO is itself reaching out increasingly to various countries in the Arab world. Strong relations between Turkey, a key NATO Ally, and its Arab neighbors are an asset not only for Turkey, but also indirectly for NATO.”

The full text of James Appathurai’s interview with PanARMENIAN.Net is available on Interviews division of Armenia and World section.