Obama urges Turkey, Armenia to stick to deals
US President Barack Obama has urged Turkey and
Armenia to enforce a stalled deal to normalize their relations
marred by historic differences.
Obama said both countries should "make every effort to advance the normalization process and achieve legislative ratification of the protocols of normalization," the White House said late on Monday after a meeting between the US president and Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit in Washington.
"The president commended President Sarkisian for his courageous efforts to achieve the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey and encouraged him to fulfill the promise of normalization for the benefit of the Armenian people," it said in a statement.
Obama also held a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan on Tuesday, which was reportedly attended by Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. No details of that meeting are disclosed.
Turkey and Armenia have been at odds and their shared border has been shut since 1993 due to Armenia’s policy of occupation of Azerbaijani territory and Armenian claims on mass killings of their ancestors by Ottoman Turks during World War I. On October 10, 2009, in Zurich, the two governments signed agreements to establish diplomatic relations and reopen their borders, after a century of hostility. However, the accords require approval by both countries’ parliaments. Ankara and Yerevan have accused each other of dragging their feet and of trying to re-write the texts of the protocols.*
Obama said both countries should "make every effort to advance the normalization process and achieve legislative ratification of the protocols of normalization," the White House said late on Monday after a meeting between the US president and Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit in Washington.
"The president commended President Sarkisian for his courageous efforts to achieve the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey and encouraged him to fulfill the promise of normalization for the benefit of the Armenian people," it said in a statement.
Obama also held a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan on Tuesday, which was reportedly attended by Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. No details of that meeting are disclosed.
Turkey and Armenia have been at odds and their shared border has been shut since 1993 due to Armenia’s policy of occupation of Azerbaijani territory and Armenian claims on mass killings of their ancestors by Ottoman Turks during World War I. On October 10, 2009, in Zurich, the two governments signed agreements to establish diplomatic relations and reopen their borders, after a century of hostility. However, the accords require approval by both countries’ parliaments. Ankara and Yerevan have accused each other of dragging their feet and of trying to re-write the texts of the protocols.*
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