October 4, 2007 - 19:59 AMT
Oskanian underlined the need for reopening of Armenian-Turkish border
The Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers, Ali Babacan and Vartan Oskanian met in New York to discuss bilateral relations.

During the meeting, Minister Oskanian underlined the need for the reopening of the Turkish-Armenian border, while Babacan said that Turkey and Armenia are still engaged in trade through third countries like Iran and Georgia.

Babacan also raised the matter of the Armenian Genocide resolution submitted to the U.S. Congress. Babacan reiterated Turkey's position, saying, "history cannot be rewritten through the votes of politicians in parliaments."

"Armenians were victims of widespread chaos and governmental breakdown as the 600-year-old empire collapsed in the years before Turkey was born in 1923," he said.

Babacan showed Oskanian pictures of Akhtamar Church in Van, which recently underwent renovation.

Diplomatic sources said the ministers agreed to keep in touch and create opportunities for more meetings in the future, the Anatolia news agency reported.