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Armenian, Turkish ministers meet in Munich
16:29 | 07/ 02/ 2009
YEREVAN, February 7 (RIA Novosti) - Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard
Nalbandyan has met with his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan, on the
sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the Armenian Foreign
Ministry said on Saturday.
"During the meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the 45th Munich
Security Conference, the sides have discussed improving
Turkish-Armenian relations," spokesman Tigran Balayan said, adding that
the meeting took place late on Friday.
The border between Turkey and ex-Soviet Armenia has been closed since
1993 on Ankara's initiative. Turkey says Armenia must end attempts to
have the early 20th century massacre of Armenians in Turkey recognized
as an act of genocide, and must settle its territorial dispute with
Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh. Turkey supports its fellow Turkic
nation Azerbaijan in the Karabakh conflict.
Turkey says the deaths and deportations of Armenians at the end of the
Ottoman period in 1915 were caused by civil unrest rather than an act
of genocide. However, most Western academics qualify the massacre,
which took the lives of around 1.5 million Armenians, as genocide.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul recently made a historic visit to the
Armenian capital of Yerevan, where he attended a 2010 World Cup
qualifier between the two countries with his Armenian counterpart,
Serzh Sarkisian. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan plans a response
visit to Istanbul in October 2009.
16:29 | 07/ 02/ 2009
YEREVAN, February 7 (RIA Novosti) - Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard
Nalbandyan has met with his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan, on the
sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the Armenian Foreign
Ministry said on Saturday.
"During the meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the 45th Munich
Security Conference, the sides have discussed improving
Turkish-Armenian relations," spokesman Tigran Balayan said, adding that
the meeting took place late on Friday.
The border between Turkey and ex-Soviet Armenia has been closed since
1993 on Ankara's initiative. Turkey says Armenia must end attempts to
have the early 20th century massacre of Armenians in Turkey recognized
as an act of genocide, and must settle its territorial dispute with
Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh. Turkey supports its fellow Turkic
nation Azerbaijan in the Karabakh conflict.
Turkey says the deaths and deportations of Armenians at the end of the
Ottoman period in 1915 were caused by civil unrest rather than an act
of genocide. However, most Western academics qualify the massacre,
which took the lives of around 1.5 million Armenians, as genocide.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul recently made a historic visit to the
Armenian capital of Yerevan, where he attended a 2010 World Cup
qualifier between the two countries with his Armenian counterpart,
Serzh Sarkisian. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan plans a response
visit to Istanbul in October 2009.