NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS TO PROCEED WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS

ARMENPRESS
May 8, 2009

PRAGUE, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met May
7 in Prague with the President of Turkey Abdullah Gul, on the latter’s
initiative. This is the second meeting between the two presidents.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan and Turkish newly appointed
Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoghlu were also present at the meeting.

Armenian and Turkish presidents positively assessed their Prague
meeting during which they have reached an agreement to "respect
previously achieved arrangements and move forward towards the
normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations without preconditions
and within sensible time-frame".

Armenian president, during the short meeting with the reporters,
assessed the meeting with his Turkish counterpart as "useful". "We
agreed to respect our arrangements," Serzh Sargsyan noted, assuring
that preconditions are excluded.

Turkish president said that during the meeting they discussed
Armenia-Turkey relations, the normalization of which, according to him,
will stem from the interests of the two countries.

Within the frameworks of the "Eastern Partnership" Summit in Prague
Serzh Sargsyan had meetings with French Prime Minister Francois Fillon,
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, EU Commissioner of External Relations
and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner as well as
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

During the meeting with the French prime minister the interlocutors
remembered with warmth the meeting in Paris last year and noted
with satisfaction that the Armenian-French relations are developing
successfully in the economic, humanitarian and other spheres. Armenian
president expressed assurance that the new initiatives in the
economic cooperation, like the entrance of French "Orange" into the
Armenian market, gives new impetus to the Armenian-French economic
cooperation. During the meeting the two sides expressed readiness to
deepen bilateral relations.

With the request of the French prime minister, Serzh Sargsyan presented
the developments in the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
as well as process of Nagorno Karabakh conflict regulation.

Referring to the Karabakh conflict regulation issue, the Armenian
president stressed that the core issue of the negotiations is the
status of Nagorno Karabakh. Serzh Sargsyan pointed out that Armenia is
ready to such a solution of the issue which will bring to long-lasting
peace. During the meeting the interlocutors also referred to the impact
of the global financial-economic crisis on the economies of the two
countries as well as to the steps directed towards its confrontation.

At the meeting with the British Foreign Secretary, the sides
underscored the further development of relations between the two
countries both in bilateral and multilateral formats. Serzh Sargsyan
and David Miliband exchanged thoughts over ensuring peace and stability
in the South Caucasian region.

During the meeting with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU
Commissioner of External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the latter greeted the efforts directed towards
the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and expressed readiness
to assist in the process.