Hürriyet, Turkey
Nov 23 2008

Armenian minister praises Turkish president’s visit to Yerevan

Armenia’s Sports Minister said September’s meeting between Turkish
President Abdullah Gul and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in
Yerevan was an important step, and attached importance to meeting
between foreign ministers of two countries to be held in Istanbul on
Monday. (UPDATED)

The second step would be taken with the visit of Armenian Foreign
Minister Eduard Nalbandian who would come to Turkey on Monday and the
two countries would keep boosting the bilateral relations, Armen
Grigorian told in an interview with Hurriyet daily published on
Sunday.

There is no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey, as
Armenia presses the international community to admit the so-called
"genocide" claims instead of accepting Turkey’s call to investigate
the allegations, and Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan.

But a warmer period began between Turkey and Armenia after Turkish
President Abdullah Gul paid a landmark visit to Armenia in September
on the occasion of a World Cup football game between the two
countries’ national teams.

Nalbandian will visit Istanbul on Monday to attend a meeting of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC). Armenia took over
the organization’s presidency from Albania on Oct. 23.

The Armenian foreign minister will also meet his Turkish counterpart
Ali Babacan. During the meeting the parties are expected to discuss
issues connected with the normalization of relations between Armenia
and Turkey.

"I believe the meeting between the two foreign ministers would be the
one that would contribute to the laying the foundation of peace bridge
between two countries. Such steps would lead the people of two
countries to become closer gradually," Grigorian told Hurriyet.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress