Turkish and Armenian FMs hold meeting
On the fringes of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on 12 March, the foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia had a bilateral meeting.
The discussion between Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his Armenian colleague Ararat Mirzoyan was "very useful and constructive," Çavuşoğlu stated.
Çavuşoğlu congratulated Mirzoyan for accepting the invitation to the forum, which he described as "open to everybody" and "a platform where everyone's opinion should be heard," following their one-on-one closed door meeting.
"As you are aware, we have begun a process to normalise our relations," he stated, noting both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's "positive statements."
Çavuşoğlu also spoke about the normalisation meetings between the two nations' special envoys, the first of which took place in Moscow and the second in Vienna.
"They (special envoys) also addressed the actions to be done to restore our ties here (during the discussions)," Çavuşoğlu said, adding that he and Mirzoyan had reviewed and analysed the talks "a little bit."
Azerbaijan supports the normalisation process between Ankara and Yerevan, according to Çavuşoğlu.
"We will continue to take measures in this direction for the benefit of all of us," he continued, saying that he and Mirzoyan have agreed to do so.
The Armenian minister, for his part, stated that his nation is committed to working for regional peace and stability, and that it is seeking to normalise relations with Turkey.
Çavuşoğlu’s invitation to the Antalya Diplomacy Forum was also a "good indicator," according to Mirzoyan.
"We decided during our discussion to continue the normalisation process toward the creation of unconditional diplomatic ties and the opening of borders," he said.
Normalisation efforts between the special envoys are underway, according to Mirzoyan, who hopes to see results soon.
"We are glad to see that all our neighbouring countries are making an effort to establish peace and prosperity in our region. And I would like to express that Armenia is ready to strive for this vision," he added.
Participants from 75 nations attended the three-day high-level Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, including 17 heads of state, 80 government ministers, and 39 officials from international organisations.