Recognition of Turkey's international role is a goodwill gesture on Armenia's partNovember 12, 2008 - 14:06 AMT 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. Top stories 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". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |