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TURKEY MINISTER'S VISIT RAISES HOPES OF THAW WITH ARMENIA
The Oman Observer, Sultanate of Oman
Dec 12 2013
YEREVAN - Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made Turkey's first
high-level visit to Armenia in nearly five years yesterday, raising
the prospect of a revival in peace efforts which stalled in 2010.
Turkey and Armenia signed accords in October 2009 to establish
diplomatic relations and open their land border, trying to revive
frozen relations. Yerevan suspended ratification of the peace accords
six months later, setting back to square one US-backed efforts to
bury a century of hostility between the neighbours.
Davutoglu was set to meet his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian on
the sidelines of a Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) group meeting.
"I hope my Yerevan visit will contribute to efforts for a comprehensive
peace and economic stability in the BSEC region and the Caucasus in
particular," Davutoglu wrote on Twitter.
The last visit by a Turkish minister was in April 2009, six months
before the protocols were signed, when Deputy Prime Minister Ali
Babacan attended a BSEC meeting in Yerevan.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity with
Azerbaijan during the war in Nagorno-Karabakh, when ethnic Armenians
backed by Armenia threw off Azeri rule with the collapse of the
Soviet Union.
Meanwhile, a Turkish official said in Ankara yesterday that a
resumption of stalled Cyprus peace talks appears "imminent" after
the divided island's leaders made progress in resolving a standoff.
Hopes were high that the negotiations would resume last month but
they have stuttered over the wording of a joint statement due to
be made by the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot
communities outlining basic principles for the new talks. "Both
sides are continuing talks. The joint statement is almost ready,
waiting for the Greek Cypriots to okay it," the Turkish official,
who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. - Reuterts/AFP
http://main.omanobserver.om/?p=38586
The Oman Observer, Sultanate of Oman
Dec 12 2013
YEREVAN - Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made Turkey's first
high-level visit to Armenia in nearly five years yesterday, raising
the prospect of a revival in peace efforts which stalled in 2010.
Turkey and Armenia signed accords in October 2009 to establish
diplomatic relations and open their land border, trying to revive
frozen relations. Yerevan suspended ratification of the peace accords
six months later, setting back to square one US-backed efforts to
bury a century of hostility between the neighbours.
Davutoglu was set to meet his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian on
the sidelines of a Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) group meeting.
"I hope my Yerevan visit will contribute to efforts for a comprehensive
peace and economic stability in the BSEC region and the Caucasus in
particular," Davutoglu wrote on Twitter.
The last visit by a Turkish minister was in April 2009, six months
before the protocols were signed, when Deputy Prime Minister Ali
Babacan attended a BSEC meeting in Yerevan.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in solidarity with
Azerbaijan during the war in Nagorno-Karabakh, when ethnic Armenians
backed by Armenia threw off Azeri rule with the collapse of the
Soviet Union.
Meanwhile, a Turkish official said in Ankara yesterday that a
resumption of stalled Cyprus peace talks appears "imminent" after
the divided island's leaders made progress in resolving a standoff.
Hopes were high that the negotiations would resume last month but
they have stuttered over the wording of a joint statement due to
be made by the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot
communities outlining basic principles for the new talks. "Both
sides are continuing talks. The joint statement is almost ready,
waiting for the Greek Cypriots to okay it," the Turkish official,
who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. - Reuterts/AFP
http://main.omanobserver.om/?p=38586