Armenia’s Sarkisian, Turkish FM hold talks in Kyiv
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who attended the
newly-elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich’s inauguration
on Thursday, met with Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian.
Davutoglu told reporters after the one-hour meeting in Kyiv that he had held comprehensive and friendly discussions with the Armenian leader on issues including the situation in the volatile South Caucasus region and the Turkey-Armenia fence-mending process, CNN Turk TV channel reported.
The minister said this was his first communication with Sarkisian after the Armenian Constitutional Court’s ruling on the 2009 accords on normalizing ties, which was criticized by Ankara. Davutoglu recalled that he had previously discussed the issue with Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian.
"Today we very openly considered with Sarkisian all aspects of the Turkey-Armenia normalization process and the topics we are concerned with, our mutual challenges. We also discussed Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and the process of settling the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict within the [mediating OSCE] Minsk Group.
"Such contacts are very beneficial. As contacts continue, mutual misunderstandings are being eliminated, reciprocal challenges are being realized more clearly and points we could assist each other are being explored."
During the talks, both Ankara and Yerevan affirmed their commitment to the process of normalizing bilateral relations, which began with the signing of two protocols in October 2009, according to diplomatic sources.
The protocols, signed in Zurich, aim to establish diplomatic relations and reopen the sealed borders between the two countries, after decades of hostility caused by Armenia’s occupying Azerbaijani territory and Armenian claims on alleged World War I-era genocide in the Ottoman Empire. The documents require ratification in both countries’ parliaments. Turkish officials have assured Azerbaijan, Turkey’s ally, that the protocols will not pass in the country’s parliament until progress is made in resolving the Garabagh conflict.*
Davutoglu told reporters after the one-hour meeting in Kyiv that he had held comprehensive and friendly discussions with the Armenian leader on issues including the situation in the volatile South Caucasus region and the Turkey-Armenia fence-mending process, CNN Turk TV channel reported.
The minister said this was his first communication with Sarkisian after the Armenian Constitutional Court’s ruling on the 2009 accords on normalizing ties, which was criticized by Ankara. Davutoglu recalled that he had previously discussed the issue with Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian.
"Today we very openly considered with Sarkisian all aspects of the Turkey-Armenia normalization process and the topics we are concerned with, our mutual challenges. We also discussed Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and the process of settling the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict within the [mediating OSCE] Minsk Group.
"Such contacts are very beneficial. As contacts continue, mutual misunderstandings are being eliminated, reciprocal challenges are being realized more clearly and points we could assist each other are being explored."
During the talks, both Ankara and Yerevan affirmed their commitment to the process of normalizing bilateral relations, which began with the signing of two protocols in October 2009, according to diplomatic sources.
The protocols, signed in Zurich, aim to establish diplomatic relations and reopen the sealed borders between the two countries, after decades of hostility caused by Armenia’s occupying Azerbaijani territory and Armenian claims on alleged World War I-era genocide in the Ottoman Empire. The documents require ratification in both countries’ parliaments. Turkish officials have assured Azerbaijan, Turkey’s ally, that the protocols will not pass in the country’s parliament until progress is made in resolving the Garabagh conflict.*
Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention.
Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis.
By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more.
Subscribe
You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper
Thank you!