Interfax, Russia
March 20 2009

Armenian genocide not on agenda of talks with Ankara – ministry

YEREVAN March 20

The 1915 Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire was not discussed at
the Armenian-Turkish talks, Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard
Nalbandian said.

"I would not like to believe that the Turkish foreign minister could
make such a statement because the Armenian genocide was not a subject
of discussion with Turkey," he said, commenting on several media
allegations that Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said that
Armenia and Turkey are already discussing "the massacres of 1915," the
Armenian Foreign Ministry told Interfax on Thursday.

On September 6, 2008m the Turkish president made the first historical
visit to Armenia. Abdullah Gul arrived in Yerevan at the invitation of
his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsian to attend a football match
between the two countries’ national football teams during the
selective tournament of the 2010 world championship.

In October 2009 Armenian President Serzh Sargsian will visit
Turkey. He will attend the return match between the two countries’
national football teams.

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