Armenian, Turkish foreign ministers discussed regional developments

YEREVAN, September 28. /ARKA/. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan held a phone conversation on Wednesday amid a massive Armenian exodus from the Nagorno-Karabakh region following Azerbaijan’s offensive earlier this month that claimed more than 400 lives on both sides and about 1000 wounded..

The two foreign ministers were said to discuss current regional developments, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said No further details were shared about the call. 

After the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone in 2020 autumn, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan began to promote the idea of establishing the so-called "era of peace" in the region with practical steps being taken to normalize relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan.

In particular, Armenia and Turkey have appointed special representatives for normalization of relations, who have already held four meetings.

As a result of the 4th meeting on July 1, 2022 in Vienna, the sides agreed to open the border for citizens of third countries visiting Armenia and Turkey respectively. An agreement was also reached to start direct air transportation of goods between Armenia and Turkey as soon as possible.

In February 2023 Armenia sent two convoys of trucks with food, medicine and other relief supplies to Turkey's quake-stricken regions, which crossed into Turkey through the border gate that was opened for the first time since 1993.

Turkey shut down their common border in 1993, in a show of solidarity with Azerbaijan , which was locked in a conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.-0-