Paylan optimistic about Pashinyan-Erdogan phone call

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish lawmaker of Armenian descent Garo Paylan has expressed hope that that recent phone talks between the leaders of the Armenia and Turkey will speed up the ongoing normalization process between the two countries.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, July 11 pledged to build on a recently established process aimed at normalizing travel, trade, and diplomatic relations between their two countries.

According to a joint statement, they "stressed the importance of the bilateral process of normalizing relations between the countries."

Erdogan and Pashinian expect a quick implementation of agreements to open the Turkish-Armenian border to citizens of third countries and to allow mutual cargo shipments by air, the statement said.

Special envoys of the two neighboring states reached the agreements during a fourth round of normalization talks held in Vienna on July 1.

"The leaders expressed hope that the agreements reached on July 1 will be implemented in the nearest future," the statement said.