ALI BABACAN: "2009 TO BE MILESTONE IN TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS"
Panorama.am
19:20 28/01/2009
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said on Wednesday that he expected
the problems between Turkey and Armenia to be solved in 2009, CNN
Turk reported.
"Actually, it would not surprise me if a solution was found this
year. 2009 can be a milestone in Turkish-Armenian relations as long
as both parties maintain their political will till the end," he said.
Turkey severed diplomatic ties with Armenia and closed border with
the landlocked country in 1993.
In September 6, 2008, the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan invited
the President of Turkey Abdullah Gul to watch the football match of
the national teams of Armenia and Turkey. After that very meeting
the bilateral communication has been activated.
Babacan says that bilateral political will is of great importance
to have the relationship normalized. He says that both Turkey and
Armenia seem to express that will. According to him, solution of
Nagorno Karabakh conflict is important for Turkey.