Hürriyet, Turkey
Feb 7 2009

Turkish FM holds productive talks with Armenian counterpart, pres

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan held productive talks with his
Armenian counterpart and president on the sidelines of the 45th Munich
Security Conference on Saturday, a Turkish official said.

"Babacan met with his Armenian counterpart (Eduard) Nalbandian. Later,
he paid a visit of courtesy to President (Serzh) Sargsyan. They were
quite productive talks. These talks aim at normalizing the relations
between Turkey and Armenia," Burak Ozugergin, spokesman for the
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was quoted by Anatolian Agency as
saying.

He said Babacan also came together with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden
and held bilateral talks with his German, Finnish and Estonian
counterparts.

Babacan last week met Nalbandian on the sidelines of the annual
meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, and said there has
been an ongoing process between Turkey and Armenia, who have no
diplomatic relations. He added that when a tangible outcome is
achieved it would be announced.

The two countries have no diplomatic relations and their border has
been closed for more than a decade, as Armenia presses the
international community with the backing of the diaspora to admit the
so-called "genocide" claims instead of accepting Turkey’s call to
investigate the allegations, and over Armenia’s invasion of 20 percent
territory of Azerbaijan.

A warmer period began in relations when Turkish President Abdullah Gul
paid a landmark visit to Yerevan in September to watch a World Cup
qualifying football match between the two countries on the invitation
of Sargsyan. The two countries have been holding contacts at the
ministerial level since.

Babacan will proceed to the Azerbaijani capital of Baku from Germany,
adding he would meet Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and President
Ilham Aliyev there on Monday.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress