TURKISH MINISTER: ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER TO BE OPENED AFTER AZERBAIJANI-ARMENIAN RELATIONS NORMALIZE
Trend
June 21 2011
Azerbaijan
The border between Turkey and Armenia could be opened after Armenia
and Azerbaijan shook hands, Turkish State Minister and chief negotiator
for EU talks Egemen Bagis said.
Bagis said on Tuesday that Turkey and Armenia had the chance to
work together in order to prevent people, nations and countries
from suffering more in the future, the semi-official Anatolia news
agency reported.
Bagis said that Turkey wanted "zero problem" with its neighbors,
adding that Turkey also wanted its neighbors to have "zero problem"
with their own neighbors, too, he said.
Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10. But
the protocols were not ratified in the parliaments.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey were broken due
to Armenian claims of an alleged genocide and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. Their border closed in 1993.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. -
are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding
regions.
Trend
June 21 2011
Azerbaijan
The border between Turkey and Armenia could be opened after Armenia
and Azerbaijan shook hands, Turkish State Minister and chief negotiator
for EU talks Egemen Bagis said.
Bagis said on Tuesday that Turkey and Armenia had the chance to
work together in order to prevent people, nations and countries
from suffering more in the future, the semi-official Anatolia news
agency reported.
Bagis said that Turkey wanted "zero problem" with its neighbors,
adding that Turkey also wanted its neighbors to have "zero problem"
with their own neighbors, too, he said.
Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10. But
the protocols were not ratified in the parliaments.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey were broken due
to Armenian claims of an alleged genocide and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. Their border closed in 1993.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. -
are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding
regions.