ALI BABACAN: WITH REGULATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH AND ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI RELATIONS, THE REGIONAL SITUATION WILL COMPLETELY CHANGE
Noyan Tapan
Feb 9, 2009
MUNICH, FEBRUARY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met with Turkish Foreign
Minister Ali Babacan within the framework of the 45th Munich Security
Conference.
The Turkish mass media reported that following the meetings, Serzh
Sargsyan and Ali Babacan made comments.
A. Babacan said that after the visit of Turkish President Abdullah
Gul to Yerevan, work is continuing to settle the relations between
the sides initiated by that visit.
In response to a German MP’s question about what is necessary for
opening the Armenian-Turkish border, A. Babacan stated that the
negotiation process is aimed at regulating the relations. He added
that with regulation of Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Azerbaijani
relations, the regional situation will completely change.
A. Babacan described this stage of meetings between the sides as the
most active and "probably, the most important one" since World War I.
Serzh Sargsyan in his turn assessed positively the developments in the
Armenian-Turkish relations’ regulation process. In his words, if the
developments continue in the same way, it will be possible to record
relations of an entirely different kind in the second half of 2009.
According to Turkish mass media, S. Sargsyan also declared that the
Armenian side is prepared to develop cooperation with all the regional
countries. He underlined the importance of promoting economic links
under conditions of the global economic crisis.
The Turkish foreign ministry also made a statement in connection with
these bilateral meetings, calling the meetings constructive and useful
in terms of regulating the relations between Armenia and Turkey.
"The meetings passed in a positive atmosphere. They were useful and
constructive. We know that the purpose of these meetings is to regulate
the relations between Turkey and Armenia. Meetings pursuing the aim of
regulation will continue," spokesman for the Turkish foreign ministry
Burak Ozugergin said.