Turkish, Armenian Foreign Ministers Meet in Antalya

ANTALYA — Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met for talks in Turkey on March 12 as part of the neighbors’ efforts to normalize relations. The two met on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

Mirzoyan said he welcomed Turkey’s invitation to the forum “as a positive signal” for improved relations between the two countries that have had decades of bitterness and have no diplomatic ties.

“During our meeting, we reaffirmed the readiness of both sides to continue the process of normalization, establishing relations, opening borders without any preconditions, ”Mirzoyan said after talks with Cavusoglu.

For his part, Cavusoglu said the two held “a very productive and constructive conversation,” which lasted 30 minutes.

“Everyone will benefit from the establishment of peace and stability in the region, and we will continue to make efforts in that direction,” he said. “I and Mr. Mirzoyan agreed on this issue.”

“We are making efforts for stability and peace,” he said.

The two sides held direct talks in Moscow in January and Vienna in February, following months of behind-the-scenes diplomacy aimed at building a broader rapprochement in the South Caucasus region.

The two Ministers expressed their support to the works of the Special Representatives of the two countries to that end.