Recognition of Turkey's international role is a goodwill gesture on Armenia's part

PanARMENIAN.Net - The visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul to Armenia was a landmark event but it's not enough, the Armenian leader said.



"We should press for having normal relations and open borders. Otherwise, Armenians will be disappointed," Serzh Sargsyan told Le Figaro.



"Recognition of Turkey's international role is a goodwill gesture on Armenia's part. However, we want equal relations. We do not set the Armenian Genocide recognition as a precondition for normalization of relations and we would like Turkey not to bring forth conditions," he said.



Gul was in Yerevan on September 6 to watch a World Cup qualifier between the Armenian and Turkish national soccer teams. Before the match, Presidents of Armenia and Turkey said their meeting will encourage a dialogue between the two countries. They considered the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform, which was evaluated by the Armenian President as a step toward creation of a favorable atmosphere throughout the region.