TURKEY PREPARING FOR PRESIDENT GUL’S VISIT TO ARMENIA

armradio.am
01.09.2008 14:33

Though Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul is yet to make up his mind,
Ankara is preparing for his potential visit to Armenia. A high-level
diplomatic and security delegation will be dispatched to Armenia this
week, ahead of President Abdullah Gul’s trip to Armenia on Sept. 6
for the first-ever international football match between the two
countries. The delegation has been sent to ease security concerns
and outline the issues to be discussed during the trip, the Turkish
Daily News reported.

"I will send a delegation to Yerevan to hold talks on the possible
visit of President Gul," Foreign Minister Ali Babacan told
reporters yesterday during a press conference with his Georgian
counterpart. However, Babacan did not give details of what the
delegation would discuss with Armenian diplomats.

The meeting of the two countries’ national teams in the same World
Cup qualification group sparked a new effort to normalize bitter
ties. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan officially invited Gul to
Yerevan for the match, a move that was warmly welcomed by the United
States and the European Union, the Turkish Daily News reminds.

Though the official announcement has not yet been made, all indications
show that Gul’s assessment will be likely to be positive.

"I am still evaluating. I have not made a decision yet,9 D Gul told
reporters late Saturday on the sidelines of a reception held by the
Chief of General Staff Gen. Ä°lker BaÅ~_bug.

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