Turkish foreign minister confirms talks with Armenian officialsJuly 18, 2008 - 17:21 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan confirmed Friday that Turkey and Armenia held a series of secret meetings in the capital of Switzerland on July 8. A high-level official from the Foreign Ministry headed the Turkish delegation during the talks which led to a positive atmosphere between the two countries, Hurriyet daily reports. This meeting came after Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's proposal for "a fresh start" with the goal of normalizing relations with Turkey and opening the border. Sargsyan also invited Turkish President Abdullah Gul to watch a football match between the two country's national teams on Sept 6 to mark "a new symbolic start in the two countries' relations". Turkish officials said the invitation has been evaluated and did not rule out accepting it since it would not be an official visit. Ertugrul Ozkok, editor-in-chief of Hurriyet daily, wrote in his column that a high-level official from the foreign ministry confirmed the report, but asked not to publish the story. "He told me that if the story is published, then it would be formally denied," Ozkok wrote in his column. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. Armenian, Azerbaijani heads of parliament meet in Switzerland President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Border residents overnight on highway to protest Armenia’s Residents of Kirants continue to express outrage over the government’s decision to cede land to Azerbaijan. Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. |