SARKISIAN, BIDEN DISCUSS TURKEY-ARMENIA TIES

Asbarez
le=41652_4/20/2009_1
April 20, 2009

YEREVAN -Armenia’s President Serzh Sarkisian had a phone conversation
with US Vice President Joe Biden on Monday in which the two discussed
the current negotiations to establish diplomatic relations between
Yerevan and Ankara.

The conversation comes after speculations of an imminent deal between
Armenia and Turkey failed to materialize on Thursday when Sarkisian
met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan as he visited Yerevan for
a meeting of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization (BSEC).

Recent reports in Turkish and Western media said that the two
governments could use the BSEC meeting to announce agreement on a
gradual normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations. But no deal
was announced.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated over the
weekend that Turkey will not normalize relations with Armenia before
the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The Turkish government appeared ready to drop that linkage when
it embarked on an unprecedented dialogue with Yerevan last year to
establish diplomatic relations and reopen its border with Armenia,
which it closed in 1993 out of solidarity with Azerbaijan. Over
the last two weeks, however, Erdogan and Turkish President Gul have
repeatedly stated this precondition ostensibly responding to warnings
by Azerbaijan that an unconditional deal with Yerevan would constitute
a betrayal of its closest Turkic ally.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress