TURKEY GIVES GUARDED WELCOME TO ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
news.az
Feb 10 2010
Azerbaijan
Ahmet Davutoglu Turkey’s foreign minister has described as both
"positive" and "routine" a message sent by the Armenian president to
his Turkish counterpart.
"Mr Sargsyan expressed his positive wishes in his message," Ahmet
Davutoglu said on Tuesday.
Sargsyan sent the message to Gul, as he was travelling from Armenia
to the UK on Monday. He said it was time for both Armenia and Turkey
to move forward in the normalization of relations.
"The authorities play the key role in breaking the stereotypes
between our peoples and establishing an atmosphere of mutual trust,"
the Armenian president said.
"Up to now we have managed to bring bilateral contacts to a level at
which the future of normal relations between our countries becomes more
visible and tangible, but today it’s high time to show willingness
to take a step forward in order to leave a stable, secure region to
the coming generations," the message concluded.
Turkey’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that the letter sent by
the Armenian president was a routine message.
Davutoglu was speaking at a press conference in Ankara after
the trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey,
Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia.
Asked whether he would travel to Iran soon, Davutoglu said he would
visit next week.
"We would like to hold comprehensive talks during our visit. We do
not want to lose the positive momentum achieved in diplomacy," he said.
Asked about the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo, Serbian Foreign
Minister Vuk Jeremic said the issue was political and had its roots
in history. He said his country would never accept a unilateral
declaration of independence.
Asked about the separation demand of the Serbians in Bosnia, Turkish
Minister Davutoglu said that Bosnia’s territorial integrity was the
basic principle for the UN and all international organizations.
Davutoglu said the negotiations between the ethnic groups in Bosnia
should be carried out in accordance with the principles of territorial
integrity and the immutability of borders.
Commenting on the importance of the decision to appoint ambassadors
between Bosnia and Serbia, Davutoglu said the development would
contribute to peace between Bosnians and Serbians living in
Bosnia-Herzegovina.