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 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 | Mirzoyan says meeting with Bayramov was “constructive” At the moment, Ararat Mirzoyan said, there is no basis for additional comments. OSCE vows support for Armenia “in all three directions of security” Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. 151 detained as civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan Citizens have been blocking streets in the Armenian capital, demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. France welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in Almaty France has welcomed the new round of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. |