Washington  - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will attend the signing of an agreement by Turkey and Armenia on Saturday in Geneva to begin the process of normalizing relations, a US official said.

Clinton will join the gathering to show support for the historic agreement at the beginning of a European trip that also includes stops in Britain, Ireland and Russia.

"She's going there to show our support for what we believe is a historic step for both Turkey and Armenia towards normalization of their relations," Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon said.

The United States has backed the discussions between the two countries to restore their diplomatic relations, which were broken off more than 15 years ago during Armenia's war with Azerbaijan. Armenian tension with Turkey dates back to World War I-era allegations that the Ottomans committed genocide against Armenians. (dpa)