GUL INVITES ARMENIAN, AZERI PRESIDENTS TO ISTANBUL

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.11.2008 14:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Following a landmark visit to Yerevan, where he
watched a World Cup qualifying match between the national teams of
the two countries in September, Turkish President Abdullah Gul is
readying to take another bold step to contribute to regional peace in
the Caucasus by soon hosting a trilateral summit with the presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Gul, who introduced his proposal for the trilateral meeting during
his meeting with Azerbaijan’s visiting President Ilham Aliyev on
Wednesday, received a positive response from the Azerbaijani leader,
diplomatic sources said.

Gul has already voiced support for the Moscow talks and expressed
hope that it will be followed by other steps, while the Turkish
Foreign Ministry, separately, said that a network of relations based
on cooperation and mutual trust within the framework of Turkey’s
proposal for a regional platform could build confidence between
Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Turkish side will convey its proposal
for a trilateral summit to the Armenian side. The exact date and
venue of the meeting will be decided later; however, Istanbul has
been mentioned as the probable venue.

"The summit may take place in a few months," said a Turkish official
on condition of anonymity.

With observers assuming that Turkey’s proposal for such a summit
is also related to its proactive drive toward handling the Armenian
Genocide issue, the summit is likely to take place before April 24.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said that the decision
on meeting’s venue and date is up to Turkey, adding that agenda of
the trilateral summit doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Issues concerning all parties can be discussed during the meeting, the
minister said, reiterating support for Turkey’s proposal to establish
a Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform, Today’s Zaman reports.