DOCUMENTS ON NORMALIZING ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS SIGNED IN ZURICH
17
oct 10 2009, 23:52
Today, at the Zurich University, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of
Armenia and Turkey Edward Nalbandyan and Ahmet Davutoglu put their
signatures under the documents on normalization of relations between
these two countries – the "Protocol on Development of Mutual Relations"
and "Protocol on Establishing Diplomatic Relations".
According to the first document, the parties have agreed to open their
mutual border within two months after enactment of the document,
hold consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, use
the infrastructure existing between the two countries, develop the
legal-treaty sphere, set up cooperation in consular relations, and
in trade, economic cooperation and tourism.
The "Protocol on Establishing Diplomatic Relations" provides
establishment of diplomatic relations from the date of signing and
exchange of diplomatic missions.
The "Interfax" Agency reports that the Protocols will come into force
on the first day of the month following the exchange of ratification
tools.
The signing ceremony was attended by Micheline Calmy-Ray, Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, the mediating country in the
settlement process; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey
Lavrov; US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Supreme Commissioner
on Foreign Policy and Security of the European Union Javier Solana,
and Bernard Koushner, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, as reported
by the ITAR-TASS Agency.