Armenian foreign minister says content with Munich talks with his Turkish colleague
09.02.2009,
19:15
Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan said the Munich meeting with his Turkish colleague Ali Babacan was constructive.
YEREVAN, February 9. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan said the Munich meeting with his Turkish colleague Ali Babacan was constructive.
“We are making a step forward to establishing relations with each other,” Nalbandyan was quoted saying.
The Armenian foreign minister reminded journalists of his meeting with Babacan last September.
“We grab the opportunity of entering into relations with Turkey, trying to discuss existing problems between both countries during various international forums and conferences,” Nalbandyan said, adding during the Davos meeting, RA President Serzh Sargsyan and Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan charged the foreign ministers of both countries to double efforts to reach a dialogue.
No diplomatic relations exist between Armenia and Turkey, and the Armenian-Turkish border has been closed since 1993 initiated by official Ankara.
Official Yerevan says it is ready to establish relations with Turkey without any preconditions. But Turkey puts preconditions for establishing bilateral relations, particularly requests Armenia to give up the policy of international recognition of the Armenian genocide of 1915 when about one and a half million Armenians were slaughtered.
The Armenian-Turkish relations began to thaw last year, when Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Yerevan on September 6 to watch a World Cup qualifier between Armenian and Turkish teams.
During the meeting, both leaders discussed possible establishment of bilateral relations. –0--
“We are making a step forward to establishing relations with each other,” Nalbandyan was quoted saying.
The Armenian foreign minister reminded journalists of his meeting with Babacan last September.
“We grab the opportunity of entering into relations with Turkey, trying to discuss existing problems between both countries during various international forums and conferences,” Nalbandyan said, adding during the Davos meeting, RA President Serzh Sargsyan and Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan charged the foreign ministers of both countries to double efforts to reach a dialogue.
No diplomatic relations exist between Armenia and Turkey, and the Armenian-Turkish border has been closed since 1993 initiated by official Ankara.
Official Yerevan says it is ready to establish relations with Turkey without any preconditions. But Turkey puts preconditions for establishing bilateral relations, particularly requests Armenia to give up the policy of international recognition of the Armenian genocide of 1915 when about one and a half million Armenians were slaughtered.
The Armenian-Turkish relations began to thaw last year, when Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Yerevan on September 6 to watch a World Cup qualifier between Armenian and Turkish teams.
During the meeting, both leaders discussed possible establishment of bilateral relations. –0--
